It has been a rough week for Manchester City, who suffered their second consecutive defeat in the Premier League when they lost to Leicester City on Boxing day. As a result, the Sky Blues have slipped to the third place, seven points adrift of Liverpool and it seems the champions need fresh legs in the second half of the season to make a comeback.
The Catalan should specifically look for a defensive midfielder due to City’s lack of depth in that particular area of the pitch and in this article, we will discuss three potential candidates for Manchester City to target in January.
Tanguy Ndombele
Olympique Lyon star Tanguy Ndombele has caused quite a stir in the French top flight, with his explosive performances this season that has helped Les Gones maintain the third spot in the league table.
Although Ndombele is generally distinguished as a central midfielder, the Frenchman has a set of qualities that will make him a tailor-made replacement for Fernandinho. His aggression, in particular, helps him dominate the middle of the park while his imposing presence helps in asserting dominance.
The 22-year-old is also blessed with technical prowess, which is necessary for any player working under Guardiola and the fact that he loves to drive forward, makes him an ideal fit for the Etihad outfit.
However, Ndombele will certainly cost a fortune, with Lyon slapping a whopping €80 million price-tag for this highly talented midfielder.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic
Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic has been linked with a transfer to the Premier League for quite some time now and a move could finally be on the horizon after it was reported that his price will drop as we head into the winter transfer window.
According to Sky Sports, the Serbian superstar will be available for a slightly more accessible price of around €100 million – giving Manchester City the ideal opportunity to challenge their arch-rivals Manchester United for his services in January.
The 23-year-old is an excellent athlete and a complete package, who can not only provide the urgency in the middle but also the aggression – making City much more dynamic in their approach.
Julian Weigl
By far the cheapest candidate currently available for Manchester City, Julian Weigl is widely regarded as one of Germany’s most talented midfield prospects.
However, his rapid growth was halted due to injuries last season and the 23-year-old has even struggled to make himself a regular fixture under Lucien Favre this term.
But, Weigl is undoubtedly a talented midfielder, who is tailor-made for Pep’s Juego de posicion style of play, which literally translates to positional play.
Indeed, Weigl has an excellent positional awareness which is combined with his flawless passing and brilliant distribution – meaning he could be utilized as an anchorman for Manchester City. Dortmund have already shown intentions of selling the midfielder, who, with ideal guidance, can be crafted into a world class player.