In a deal that could go a long way in solving their current problems, Manchester City are reportedly ready to go all out to sign a midfielder worth £52m in the January transfer window.
Man City transfer news
From Atalanta’s Ederson to Rocco Reitz, Manchester City have been linked with a number of names in recent weeks who could arrive to replace the injured Rodri for the rest of the season. And that comes as little surprise. The Premier League champions are more wounded than ever under Pep Guardiola. They are undeniably a side in crisis with the Manchester derby arriving at the worst possible time.
When the winter window swings open, replacing Rodri must sit top of City’s to-do list above several other tasks. Without the Spaniard, Guardiola’s side have unsurprisingly dropped their levels to the lowest point since the former Bayern Munich manager’s first season in charge. In need of another transitional period, those at The Etihad could kick things off by welcoming a La Liga star.
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This would be a shock switch…
According to reports in Spain, Manchester City are now ready to go all out to sign Martin Zubimendi in the January transfer window after holding internal talks about the Real Sociedad midfielder. He won’t come cheap given his £52m release clause, however, and City must do what Liverpool failed by convincing Zubimendi to leave his boyhood club.
The Sociedad star would certainly make sense as a Rodri replacement. After all, he’s done it before on one of the biggest stages that football has to offer, seamlessly stepping in for an injured Rodri at half-time in Spain’s eventual victory over England in the Euro 2024 final last summer.
“Elite” Zubimendi should be Man City’s top choice
Among various options, it should be Zubimendi who stands out. With a release clause of £52m, Manchester City’s negotiations should be swift before they get their chance to put together a more convincing pitch than the one Liverpool managed during the summer. At 25 years old too, there’s plenty more to come from the talented midfielder, who could also go on and replace the likes of Ikay Gundogan in the long term.
|
League stats 23/24 (via FBref) |
Martin Zubimendi |
Rodri |
|---|---|---|
|
Progressive Passes |
142 |
376 |
|
Tackles Won |
27 |
43 |
|
Key Passes |
16 |
49 |
|
Ball Recoveries |
169 |
235 |
The numbers don’t exactly tell the full truth of Zubimendi’s quality such is the elite level that Rodri is operating at the very top of the world’s best, but the Sociedad man still impressed in the previous campaign.
Dubbed an “elite tempo controller” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the 25-year-old remains one to watch. Given that Sociedad currently sit outside of the top six in La Liga too, Zubimendi’s own ambitions could yet push for a move away in a turnaround from the loyalty that he showed his boyhood club in the summer.
Attempting to solve their problems, Zubimendi should be top of Manchester City’s wishlist in January.
