Eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool and counting, Premier League defending champions Manchester City have been off-the-pace across all competitions this season and their slump in form has been worsened by the long-term absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. As such, they’re open to acquiring midfield acquisitions next month and beyond, with several lucrative names being linked.
City charging towards January reinforcements
MANCHESTER City hope some calculated transfer market business will help them arrest a worrying dip of form across all fronts, as Pep Guardiola’s side juggle some inexplicable defensive mistakes in tightly-contested games and an ever-growing injury list with an over-reliance on their top marksman Erling Haaland.
Haaland, 24, scored hat-tricks against Ipswich and West Ham in August as the Norway forward broke more records the following month after his matchwinning brace at Brentford’s expense. He’s netted four goals in 11 league games since and been more successful on international duty against lowly opposition.
Muscular injuries mean Kevin de Bruyne’s minutes have dropped, Ilkay Gundogan’s return to Eastlands has been patchy while Bernardo Silva hasn’t been much better.
Jack Grealish hasn’t done anything to dissuade critics deeming him an expensive failure while last season’s player of the year Phil Foden has been alarmingly inconsistent at a time where they need their key players to step up – £20.7m summer signing Savinho has impressed in ways they expected from Jeremy Doku.
Rodri will be sidelined until next summer with his ruptured ACL injury and while the Mateo Kovacic-Gundogan midfield pivot has papered over the cracks, it’s not a faultless pairing. The Times have reported Newcastle’s Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes would be open to a move, either next month or at the end of the season.
He had a £100m release clause in his deal which City were unwilling to activate last summer, and has since signed a new five-year extension with improved terms.
His international compatriot, West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta, was among City’s rumoured shortlist last year and seemingly close to a £65m switch before news broke of an investigation into the playmaker’s alleged betting connections to four yellow card offences from the previous season. Even now, the case remains open.
It should be no surprise City are linked with Bayer Leverkusen’s creative midfielder Florian Wirtz (21), though they’re not alone in that interest. The Germany international has scored 14 goals – one away at Augsburg earlier today – and created eight more in 30 appearances across all competitions for club and country this term.
Wirtz has recently begun working with the agency run by Volker Struth, who has a long history of deals with big Spanish sides, and is the agent of recently-retired midfielder Toni Kroos. Leverkusen are unwilling to sell him mid-season, so any approach would be with a view to summer 2025 – Real are reportedly frontrunners.
Real Sociedad and Euro 2024 champion Martin Zubimendi, who rejected Liverpool last summer to continue playing for his boyhood club, is also on the radar. Arsenal and Arne Slot’s Reds retain an interest in him, with the 25-year-old now open to making the switch abroad. None of the trio mentioned will come cheap.
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