Ruben Amorim and Pep Guardiola ahead of the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Manchester City | OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Imagesplaceholder image
Ruben Amorim and Pep Guardiola ahead of the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Manchester City | OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images | AFP via Getty Images
Pep Guardiola’s Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool are also chasing him
From Vincent Kompany to Ruben Dias via Jolean Lescott, John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi, Aymeric Laporte, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, the Citizens have been a bastion for brilliant centre-backs in and out of possession while their stable has really deepened in recent seasons, peaking with their treble-winning side of 2022/23.
That’s not quite the case today, though. Ruben Dias remains outstanding but City’s only other centre-backs aged under 30 are Abdukodir Khusanov and Josko Gvardiol.
Khusanov is currently sidelined with an ankle injury but had his confidence rocked badly by Vinicius Junior and hat-trick hero Kylian Mbappe in just his third start for Guardiola last season and had only started once at centre-back this campaign, with plenty of question marks remaining over whether he can cut those errors out of his game. Meanwhile Gvardiol has made over 60% of his Manchester City appearances at full-back and Stones and Ake’s days at the Etihad appear numbered.
So while Guardiola’s side have made a strong defensive start to 2025/26, reinforcing the position in January would be prudent for the side who are the masters of solving problems before they’re problems. Wilfried Singo, who’s on the radars of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, is the perfect player to continue Manchester City’s proud recent history in central defence.
Singo is the perfect Guardiola defender
Singo looks like he was manufactured in a laboratory by scientists looking to perfect the ideal centre-back for Pep Guardiola. Intelligent, physical, fast, strong in the tackle and technically gifted, Singo is the archetypal modern defender and a huge reason Galatasaray sit level with fifth-placed Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Singo’s played more football at right-back and in midfield but turning 25 on Christmas Day, he’s played 62 games at centre-back and has been strong there this season as Galatasaray boast the joint-best defensive record in the Turkish Super Lig. He’s also racked up 30 appearances for the Ivory Coast and is on the verge of breaking into the country’s top 50 most-capped players. Given he likely has at least 10, and up to 15 years, left in international football it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Singo finish near the very top of that list alongside the Toure brothers, Didier Drogba, Didier Zokora and Solomon Kalou.
The 25-year-old would be able to slot straight into the heart of defence for Manchester City but they also have the capacity to ease him into the biggest matches if Guardiola prefers given the presence of Dias, Gvardiol, Stones and Ake before the latter pair move on in the next couple of years. However, Singo’s superb performances aren’t going under the radar and he has a stellar list of Premier League suitors lining up to capture his signature in January.
City could battle Premier League rivals for Singo
Singo only joined Galatasaray in the summer after 20 successful months at Monaco but according to Turkish outlet Sabah his release clause is a potential bargain price of €60 million (£53m). That would still mean Gala would double their money on the defender though, and he’s unsurprisingly attracted the interest of the Premier League’s best clubs.
Arsenal and Liverpool are both chasing Singo, though it would be a surprise to see him go to London given the limited opportunities he’d have behind Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Jurrien Timber. He’d enjoy more game time at Liverpool but if they reignite their chase of Guehi - with Crystal Palace apparently willing to entertain cut-price offers for the England star in January if they can find a suitable replacement - Singo will be further down the shopping list.
So Manchester United remain his best bet for a Premier League move, with the Red Devils looking to capitalise on their upturn in form under Ruben Amorim. Singo will be away on Africa Cup of Nations duty from mid-December to 18 January so both clubs will be in a race against time to bring capture him (though the Ivory Coast are outside the top five favourites to win the tournament).
Manchester City undoubtedly have the better track record to sell and could offer Singo game time on the right side of defence in contrast to the Red Devils, while also have the carrot of continuing to play Champions League football ahead of the World Cup.
Singo would be a fantastic addition at the Etihad with the potential to become one of the best defenders in the Premier League and allow Manchester City to hurt their noisy neighbours while they can’t afford to remain stagnant at centre-back forever, it’s a move that makes too much sense not to pursue.
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