Undervalued stars Man City should consider when the transfer window re-opens

Suspension to domestic leagues around the world has led to disruption on a scale never seen before in football and Premier League sides have been hit considerably.

The disruption caused in recent weeks will have a huge impact on football for much longer than the current season and the transfer market has already seen a big fall in player value. Uncertainty surrounding the remainder of domestic competitions is said to be a main reason for that as well as the tough financial challenges clubs are facing.

An incredible £7.82bn transfer value drop on transfer website Transfermarkt led to a 20% cut to players around the world, with players born after 1998 down by a lesser 10% due to their future progression.

Such a huge forecast could be indicative of an entirely different transfer window this summer. A number of clubs, including Barcelona, have already been reported to be considering halting transfer activity this summer to counteract financial woes brought by the break in live action.

Manchester City's position as one of the world's richest clubs, therefore, means that they could perhaps look to capitalise on a weaker market this summer. Pep Guardiola's search for a third Premier League title has been halted, but reinforcements could aid that push for next season.

In terms of market values, there will be individual cases where values are not fully representative of the price needed to recruit a player. From contract lengths to player loyalty, market values can't be 100% accurate but they certainly provide a fair indication.

Guardiola could be on the look-out for a number of recruits this summer to fill voids at centre back as well adding further reinforcements to left-back and forward options.

Here, we outline three undervalued players that could meet that criteria and improve City's squad in the next transfer window.

Luiz Felipe (£14.4m)

The Lazio centre back has been linked with City already this year and admitted his pride at being linked with Guardiola's side.

The MEN understands City will focus on defensive reinforcements this summer and Felipe could fit that bill perfectly for a moderate price.

His transfer value of £14.4m presents a tempting offer given that he has been a vital part of Lazio's rigid defence this season. 23 goals conceded in 26 Serie A games shows that Felipe could add much needed defensive reinforcement to a typically penetrable City defence.

The Brazilian will enter the final two years of his contract this summer in Italy which could make his favourable market value representative of a fee needed to prize him away from Lazio.

In a transfer market that includes a number of highly-priced central defenders, Felipe could be an astute addition.

Robin Gosens (£18m)

The Atalanta defender has been a key element of a fluid attacking system as an inverted full-back this season.

His role on the left in a 3-4-2-1 sees the German occupy a position up and down the left flank with balanced responsibility between defending and attacking which could suit Guardiola's system perfectly.

Eight goals and three assists this season illustrates the high attacking threat that Gosens could provide on the left for City.

For City, it will be a case of whether they can afford to spend big money on another full-back before reverting to a more affordable option in Gosens.

Calvin Stengs (£16.2m)

The AZ Alkmaar forward has received a lot of praise this season for 19 goal contributions in the Eredivisie.

At just 21 years old, Stengs is billed as one of the next big things to come out of the Dutch domestic league and Guardiola might be wise to look at him as a long-term investment, not least to prevent rivals getting there first.

A market value of £16.2million is representative of the difficulty in the Dutch top-flight and it would be expected that a prior of adjustment would be needed to help Stengs adapt to English top-flight football.

He is certainly a long-term target that a number of clubs have reportedly been interested in recently and City should be no different. Stengs' ability to play a number of roles including winger, advanced playmaker and shadow striker means that Guardiola could be keen to develop his wide-ranging attributes into a world class talent.