Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee claims that the side have missed out on key transfer targets in the past as they refuse to pay more than the market value for a player.

Under Pep Guardiola, City have assembled a squad full of established stars in recent years. However, they have not had things all their own way in the transfer market.

Back in January 2018, the club appeared to be favourites to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal. Instead, they were pipped to the post by rivals Manchester United.

Six months later, they missed out on another deal, this time with Napoli's Jorginho. The holding midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Eastlands, but joined Chelsea for £51.3m in the end.

When asked on The Athletic's discussion thread why City's interest had not always resulted in players coming to the Etihad, Lee responded: "The short answer is they don’t go above their valuation or cave in if the agent wants them to match a late offer from a rival club.

"They do shift a bit though, Laporte wanted more money at the last minute and they obliged. But generally they don’t up their offers much. Sometimes just bad luck, like Jorginho. Although if they had moved quicker and not haggled over a few mil they’d have got him."

GIVEMESPORT's Sam Brookes says...

City may have failed to sign some talented players in the past, but it does not seem to be affecting them too much right now. 

The Premier League leaders restored their 14-point gap at the top of the table on Wednesday, easing past Southampton 5-2. 

Indeed, two of City's three scorers on the night were Guardiola signings, showing that the club have still made some excellent additions over the years. Riyad Mahrez registered a brace, whilst Ilkay Gundogan continued his fine goalscoring form with a close-range finish.

The team are closing in on the title, and the summer transfer window is edging nearer, leaving many wondering how City will look to strengthen their squad this summer.

One name who has been linked with a move to City is Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland. The 20-year-old has scored a remarkable 20 goals in just 14 Champions League appearances, proving that he is the real deal.

City have squandered opportunities to buy players before. Their fans will hope that they don't allow Haaland to go elsewhere, as he looks to be a star of the future who could make the team even better than they currently are.