Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, applauds the fans following the final whistle of the UEFA Champions League match against Juventus
Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, applauds the fans following the final whistle of the UEFA Champions League match against Juventus (Image: Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
Manchester City are reportedly expected to enter the transfer market in January in a bid to improve their poor form and avert any further crisis.
Pep Guardiola's side have won just one of their last 10 fixtures across all competitions. They have dropped into fourth in the Premier League standings and are at risk of missing out on the knockout phase play-offs for the Champions League.
City have had to contest the majority of this season without Ballon d'Or winner Rodri. The defensive midfielder sustained an ACL injury earlier in the campaign and the champions' form has suffered a dip ever since.
READ MORE: Man City chairman makes statement as Blues record £78m profit and surge above United and Liverpool
READ MORE: I was ridiculed for comparing myself to Pep Guardiola but I know what he must do to fix Man City
According to The Times, midfield reinforcement could be on the cards in the upcoming January transfer window and potential targets have now emerged. The article claims City are big admirers of Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, but a deal midway through the season is unlikely and they also face strong competition from Real Madrid.
Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes has been a target for Guardiola in the past, and the report indicates he would be open to a move to the Etihad. However, his £100m release clause could prove to be too steep for City and Guimaraes is under contract until 2028.
Martin Zubimendi, who turned down a move to Liverpool over the summer, is reportedly now open to a move, which has alerted the likes of the Merseyside outfit and City. Atalanta's Ederson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton have also been name-dropped as players the club are monitoring ahead of January.
City face a difficult task this weekend as they take on bitter rivals Manchester United at home. They then travel away to Aston Villa to complete their fixtures before Christmas.
Sign up to get even more from our Man City coverage
We want your views, Blues. You can become even more involved with our Man City coverage by signing up. This will unlock a whole host of things - including joining the comments and taking part in our special Q&As, where you can speak directly to our reporters about what’s happening at the Etihad Stadium this week and beyond.
Click here to get started.