You are missing only one being and everything is depopulated. This famous maxim makes sense when discussing the trajectory of Manchester City. Orphaned by his playing master Rodri, victim of a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee and out for the rest of the season, the Mancunian club is struggling without the Spaniard, recently elected Ballon d’Or. At the foot of the podium in the Premier League and already behind Liverpool in the title race, the Skyblues are also in a worrying twenty-second place in the C1 championship phase rankings. Threatened in many ways before challenging Paris Saint-Germain on January 22, the team coached by Pep Guardiola must therefore react.
With this in mind, The Times ensures, this Saturday, that the upper echelons of the club are working to find the perfect replacement for Rodri, starting this winter. After reaching a record turnover of 715 million pounds and a profit of 73.8 million pounds – an unprecedented figure in the history of the Mancunian club – City want to strike hard. Indeed, according to the British media, the reigning English champion is very interested in Florian Wirtz (21 years old, Bayer Leverkusen). A complex file despite everything since Real Madrid is also on the lookout and the German team does not really seem willing to give up its crack during the next winter window.
Manchester City will take out the checkbook!
Constraints which could lead the Skyblues to activate other tracks. As such, The Times reveals two other names. The first is none other than Martín Zubimendi. Followed by Liverpool last summer, the Spanish international, valued at £50 million, ultimately decided to stay at Real Sociedad. Yes, but now, the 25-year-old midfielder would now be open to the idea of leaving and Manchester City, who have suffered 7 defeats in their last 10 matches, intend to take advantage of it. Finally, the residents of the Etihad Stadium continue to closely follow the performances of a certain Bruno Guimarães (27 years old, Newcastle).
Targeted for several months by City, the 27-year-old Brazilian midfielder would also be open to a transfer to the Skyblues next month or during the summer transfer window. While Manchester City had, for their part, decided not to trigger the release clause of 100 million pounds sterling which appeared in Guimarães’ contract last summer, it now remains to be seen whether the Magpies will accept a lower offer to sell their Auriverde talent, who – let’s remember – signed a new five-year contract two months ago. One thing is certain, Manchester City – who also follows Ederson, the Atalanta midfielder, and Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace – are determined to strike hard in the coming weeks to revive themselves…
