Manchester City are considering transfer options for January to aid their Premier League title push
Manchester City are back in form after a brief dip in performances earlier in the season. Their latest win over Everton sees them unbeaten in eight games across all competitions, with ground made up at the top of the Premier League table.
However, competition is proving fierce in these early stages of the season. Reigning champions Liverpool threw away a five-point lead prior to the international break, allowing Arsenal to claim the top spot for their own.
There is additional pressure from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, while Bournemouth are also in superb form.
Strong attacking displays are back on the agenda for City, with eight goals scored in their last three league games. They also lead the way with the highest goal tally so far in the Premier League, showing flashes of their previous title-winning dominance once again.
Man City looking at January transfers to aid Premier League title push
Erling Haaland remains a crucial player for City, with 11 goals in eight games so far this season. Pep Guardiola also has Omar Marmoush to call upon, who tallied 11 goalscoring contributions for his new side in the latter half of last season, after joining in January.
The midfielder was forced off in the first half against Brentford and has not returned yet, despite hopefulness he would feature against Everton. Guardiola has revealed that Rodri is yet to return to full training.
While the boss has been able to call upon Nico Gonzalez, Rodri is no easy figure to directly replace. City’s devastating collapse last season can be traced almost to the day of the Spaniard’s last appearance against Arsenal before his ACL injury.
Guardiola himself has described Rodri as ‘irreplaceable in many things’ and has admitted he cannot be expected to play every game City have lined up this season. With a question mark once again above his fitness, the Citizens may turn to the transfer market in January to bolster that position.
Man City interested in signing Carlos Baleba from Brighton
That’s according to ESPN, who reported Man City’s interest in Baleba over the summer, as Guardiola is a ‘long-time admirer’ of him.
At just 21, the Cameroon international has a long career ahead of him and he has been backed to become a ‘world class player’. Baleba has already proven himself in the Premier League and one of his standout performances last season actually came against City.
The midfielder came off the bench just after half-time and played a huge role in Brighton beating City 2-1. James Gheerbrant of the Times, outlined at the time how he changed the game for the Seagulls and is their ‘most influential’ player.
Rodri’s injury setbacks are a concern for City, but even if he remains fit, Guardiola will want to manage his game time to avoid unnecessary risk. While Baleba will cost a hefty amount of cash, he could be the difference between City really gunning for another title shot and seeing a devastating repeat of last season.
Rodri also won’t be around forever. The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner turns 30 next year and the club may start to want to consider his long-term replacement. While he’s got plenty of life left in him, a club as successful as Man City with their particular transfer record shouldn’t wait around to bring in someone to support and potentially challenge a key member of the team.
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