Manchester City are reportedly plotting a major midfield move reinforcement in January to help Pep Guardiola’s side get out of their dizzying downward spiral.
The reigning Premier League champions were left demoralized Defeat 2-0 at Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday night. City have won just one of their previous ten games in all competitions, arguably the worst run of Guardiola’s glittering managerial career.
While his ambitions to qualify for the Champions League The round of 16 is under threat and the defense of their Premier League crown it’s almost overthe Cityzens could turn to the winter transfer market as a solution.
The Times reports that City are eyeing Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes, the talented Real Sociedad academy graduate. Martin ZubimendiAtalanta’s Ederson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.
The five midfielders have vastly different skill sets and are embroiled in contrasting contract situations, but they have one thing in common: they won’t come cheap.
Zubimendi is expected to be one of the more affordable options, but the The goal of Arsenal and Liverpool it will still cost City around £50m if they can convince him to leave San Sebastian. Arne Slot failed to lure the 25-year-old defensive midfielder away from his boyhood club in the summer, but Zubimendi is believed to be more open to a move in 2025.
Although the Spain international is the most similar profile to absent City star Rodri, Bruno Guimaraes has featured regularly at the base of midfield for Premier League rivals Newcastle United. The Brazilian has been a long-term target for the club and even spoke to Guardiola during a summer of intense speculation. The Times claim Guimaraes is “open” to a transfer, but it remains to be seen whether City would be willing to trigger his £100m release clause.
Any move for Wirtz would likely have to be delayed until next summer. The attacking midfielder is being chased by a number of elite clubs, including Real Madridand would cost around £85 million.
Ederson and Wharton are also being monitored by City, who could be about to embark on their busiest January transfer window since the early years of Sheikh Mansour’s reign.
