Manchester City have not bought a first-team player in the January transfer window since the arrival of Aymeric Laporte in 2018.
Pep Guardiola was building from a strong position at the time, boasting a 12-point lead in Premier League summit as they aim towards the first and so far only centurion campaign in English football history. The setting couldn't be more different this year.
Locked in the worst crisis of his managerial career, Guardiola has revealed that City could be forced to dive into the January transfer window.
“We are not a big fan of that (window) but the circumstances of this season have been special,” Guardiola lamented before seeing his side lose again. against Aston Villa. “We've talked about doing something.”
Here's what that something could be.
There is little that Rodri could have done at full fitness over the last three months to earn the same level of praise he has been given as Manchester City have spiraled violently out of control in his absence.
When to Ballon d'Or winner limping midway through Arsenal's trip to the Etihad in September, City led 1-0 and on top of the live Premier League table.
Over the course of their subsequent 12 league games, the reigning champions have dropped to seventh place and conceded 20 league goals. The season hasn't even reached the halfway point yet and City have already made more mistakes leading to the shoot-out than in three of the last four full campaigns.
Ilkay Gundogan is only tentatively back from his one-year break at Barcelona, while Mateo Kovacic – the closest thing Guardiola has to a replacement for Rodri – has been sidelined by injuries.
Possible targets
The city is said to have drafted one Shortlist of five midfield players. At the top of the candidates may very well be Martin Zubimendi. The lightweight orchestrator at the base of Real Sociedad's midfield was the man Luis de la Fuente chose to fill the void left by Rodri's first-half substitution in the Euro 2024 final.
Although Zubimendi does not have the same high physical profile as his compatriot, he boasts ease in possession and a clear understanding of the game. There was a reason Liverpool went through a lot last summer following after him.
There is no doubt about his physical ability Ederson. The Brazilian midfielder covers the ground of two regular players from the heart of Atalanta's engine. Blessed with a brain as powerful as his muscles, Ederson seems to improve with each passing day under the watchful eye of Gian Piero Gasperini.
If City are looking for a proven Premier League talent, they can choose Bruno Guimaraes. Newcastle United's talismanic vice-captain has a long-standing rivalry with Rodri but would do an admirable job filling in for the Spaniard and could easily play alongside him once he returns to the pitch. All City need to do is raise £100m.
City's injury crisis may have laid claim to their best midfielder, but this physical disaster has destroyed the backline as well. Matheus Nunes had to be thrust uncomfortably into a left-back role for December's Manchester derby – and duly scored a penalty header – as Guardiola was left with just three fit defenders. Ruben Dias is then forced into one increasingly crowded treatment room.
While a declining Kyle Walker lives up to his surname on the right side of City's backline, Guardiola has been on the hunt for a natural left-back for years.
The reigning champions are in desperate need of some vaguely defensively minded figurehead after conceding two or more goals in seven consecutive games between late October and early December. The last time City suffered such a porous run was 1963, when they conceded 102 league goals and were relegated.
Possible targets
The role of a full-back in a Guardiola team may be the most complex position in football. Suitable candidates should boast the craft of a midfielder and the mind of a defender. Miguel Gutierrez is one of the few players with a great appreciation for the demands of this hybrid role.
The former Real Madrid academy graduate has flourished for Girona as an inverted left-back under Michel. As one of the teams under City Football Group's umbrella of influenceGutierrez's manager has access to the exact training drills that Guardiola outlines in Manchester. This CFG connection will also grease the wheels of any transfer negotiations.
In recent years, Guardiola has increasingly appreciated the physicality and finesse of his defenders. of Barcelona Jules Kounde AND David Hanko of Feyenoord both offer a unique balance of lust and guile, having operated as a centre-back and full-back.
When Julian Alvarez was forced to spend £81.5 million on Atletico Madrid in the summer, Guardiola hinted that City would secure a replacement for the World Cup winner in the remaining days of the transfer window. A 33-year-old Gundogan was the only player to arrive.
The captain of City's treble-winning side has been a shadow of his former self this season, standing out for his struggles in a side that is building form worthy of relegation fodder.
Kevin De Bruyne has barely been noticed this season and Phil Foden may as well have sat himself. The reigning Premier League Player of the Year did not score his first league goal of the season until December 21, registering a consolation in the defeat to Aston Villa with his 30th effort of the season.
Possible targets
City have been optimistic about the Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtzbut the prolific German wonder won't be going anywhere in January for anything less than nine figures. Even then, Leverkusen can simply refuse to lose their best player in the middle of the season.
Omar Marmoush may not have the same buzz as Wirtz, but the Egyptian has racked up the same number of Bundesliga assists (seven) and scored almost twice as many league goals (13) as the in-demand Man of the Match this season. of striker of Eintracht Frankfurt, breaking the record has been repeatedly linked with Liverpool this season but would certainly be interested in a move from the reigning Premier League champions.
Nico PazHis modest tally of two goals and three assists should be put into perspective. The Real Madrid academy graduate is operating at the epicenter of Cesc Fabregas' newly promoted Como, pulling the strings with a mesmerizing, almost no-nonsense style.
A City team that increasingly looks too terrified to try anything bold for fear of repercussions – only to make a mistake while playing it safe – could do with Paz's sense of adventure.