Man City eyeing Kovacic upgrade who’s “one of the best DMs on the planet”

Manchester City have endured a disastrous season in the Premier League to date and currently sit in sixth place in the division after 20 matches.

The Cityzens have won ten, drawn four, and lost six of their games in the top-flight so far, leaving them a staggering 12 points behind Liverpool in first.

Pep Guardiola is now looking to bolster his playing squad ahead of the second half of the season by dipping into the January transfer window to add more quality to his group.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City are expected to complete a deal to sign Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt this week to improve their options at the top end of the pitch.

The Egypt international has racked up 14 goals and seven assists in 16 appearances in the Bundesliga so far this term and will look to replicate that level of output in the final third in the Premier League in the months to come.

As you can see in the clips above, the 25-year-old is a dynamic forward who can make magical things happen by coming in off the left flank or playing through the middle.

He has also thrived across all competitions with a return of 19 goals and 12 assists in 25 matches for Frankfurt, including four goals and two assists in six outings in the Europa League.

Marmoush may not be the only high-profile addition of the window, though, as the Citizens are also reportedly interested in signing a star from Real Madrid after landing the Bundesliga marksman.

Manchester City eyeing up French star

According to Football Insider, Manchester City are interested in a potential deal to sign Real Madrid defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, with Guardiola lining up a move for the versatile titan.

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The report claims that City and Premier League rivals Liverpool are both eyeing up a swoop to bring the France international to England this year to bolster their respective midfield set-ups.

It states that the Manchester City board have made funds available to Guardiola to go and pursue the signing of Tchouameni, although there is no mention of how much it would take to secure the former Monaco star’s signature this month.

Football Insider adds, however, that a January transfer for the French star is unlikely because Carlo Ancelotti would prefer to keep his squad together until the end of the season, at least.

This means that City and Liverpool may have to wait until the summer transfer window to seriously pursue a deal to sign the towering midfielder, who joined the Spanish giants from Monaco in the summer of 2022 for a fee of £85.3m.

Guardiola could swoop to sign the Real Madrid star to be an upgrade on one of his current Manchester City central midfield options – Mateo Kovacic.

How Tchouameni compares to Man City midfielder Mateo Kovacic

The Croatia international has struggled with the absence of Rodri at the base of the midfield for the Citizens, as it has exposed his weaknesses out of possession.

Kovacic has been dribbled past a whopping 1.3 times per game on average by opposition players in the top flight, which shows that it has been too easy for opponents to get the better of him in transition.

The former Chelsea star, who won the Champions League with the Blues, has also only won 54% of his duels in the Premier League, barely more than half of his physical contests, and this shows that he has not been dominant in his battles.

Without Rodri, City do not have a defensive anchor in the middle of the park to hold the team together off the ball, with Kovacic’s struggles off the ball illustrating that perfectly.

As you can see in the table above, the Croatian dynamo ranks lowly in the majority of the key defensive performance indicators, which shows that he offers very little to the team out of possession.

Without a fit and firing Rodri available, City need a player with the quality to step up in that role and that is why Guardiola should push for the board to get a deal done for Tchouameni this month, or in the summer, as he could come in as an upgrade on Kovacic.

Firstly, the French star only turns 25 later this month and that means that the Cityzens would be signing a player who is heading into his prime years and would have plenty of time left to be a star for the club in the long-term.

Tchouameni is also a versatile player who can play as a centre-back, a defensive midfielder, or as a central midfielder, which means that Guardiola could utilise him in a plethora of ways.

The Real Madrid star is also a technically secure and defensively dominant star who could step up to offer far more than Kovacic in midfield for City, improving their defensive work without Rodri available.

Tchouameni has won 64% of his duels in LaLiga for Real this season and made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game, which shows that he wins the majority of his physical contests and consistently looks to break up opposition attacks with his ability to make defensive interventions.

As you can see in the table above, the 24-year-old midfield machine has been incredibly more effective defensively in comparison to Kovacic this season, making more tackles and interceptions whilst also being dribbled past far less frequently.

Tchouameni, once described as “one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet” by analyst Raj Chohan, has the physical and technical attributes, having showcased them in a major European league for a gigantic club already, to thrive in English football.

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Manchester City have already been busy this window, but don’t appear to be slowing down.

Therefore, Man City must ensure that they win the race with Liverpool to sign the impressive titan, this month or in the summer, to be a big upgrade on Kovacic in the middle of the park.