Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola The days will certainly be counting down until the January transfer window opens.
City's recent 1-1 draw with Everton means they have won just once during the whole of December, but their problems go back further than they did at the start of the month.
The club is missing midfielder Rodri, who was also missing Exclusion for the rest This season after suffering a serious injury last September.
Replacing the Spaniard – who won the Ballon d'Or in October – is essential for Guardiola next month, especially with City's campaign faltering.
Will he just be a midfielder on the coach's wish list? Or are there other positions that need strengthening before the second half of the season?
Erling Haaland He has struggled of late, suggesting the centre-forward could be on the club's shortlist heading into the January transfer market.
Is one of Europe's best attacking players on their radar?
Manchester City transfer news
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Lille Canadian striker Jonathan David He is the name on the club's shortlist of strikers ahead of the winter window.
The report goes on to state that City were looking to bring David to Manchester during the summer, but no move was ever made.
He has six months remaining on his current contract, and with no news on a potential extension, City could perhaps sign the player for a fee below his market value, although the French side have stated they have no interest in selling him.
Since Guardiola sold Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window, there has been no competitor for Haaland, which has led to the Norwegian struggling to regain his fitness due to his use in every match.
Bringing in someone who can provide competition could return the former Borussia Dortmund striker to his best form, especially a player as talented as David.
Erling Haaland's struggles this season
After five Premier League matches this season. Haaland scored ten goalsincluding hat-tricks in successive weeks against Ipswich Town and West Ham United, as he showed no signs of slowing down.
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Since the last of those 10 strikes against Arsenal, the Scandinavian striker has scored just three goals in the league, and added a further five goals in the Champions League.
These numbers are a far cry from the prolific rate he enjoyed during his first two seasons at the Etihad, as that decline has cost City in more ways than one.
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Erling Haaland's statistics in the English Premier League since August 2023 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
metric |
2023/24 |
2024/25 |
|
Objectives |
27 |
13 |
|
Shots per match |
3.9 |
4.1 |
|
Goal conversion ratio |
22% |
18% |
|
Total duels won per match |
2.8 |
2.7 |
|
Great opportunities were missed |
34 |
14 |
When compared to his peers in the Premier League this season, Haaland ranks first lowest 50% For shot creation movements (2.17), aerial duels won (1.33) and progressive passes conceded (3.95) per 90.
He only ranks in the top 13% for non-kick goals (0.67) per 90 among his peers too, which, considering he's been. Ranked in top 5% By the same measure as last season, he proves to have suffered relegation.
Things might have been different if the player had a competition to compete in, allowing Haaland to rest during certain matches to maintain his fitness levels.
Signing David will help in this regard, and with his contract expiring, Guardiola will likely bring him to England for a reasonable transfer fee.
Jonathan David's season by the numbers
David has gone from strength to strength since joining Lille in 2020 from Belgian side Gent. he 52 goals were scored – 37 goals and 15 assists – in just 83 appearances for the club, attracting the attention of various clubs in Europe.
His manager at the club, Hein Vanhaysbrouck, He praised him During his time in Belgium, he said:
“He's a phenomenon. The best player in the country. He would be the most expensive transfer from Gent. They would be happy to sell him for £25m or more.”
Ultimately, he chose to join Ligue 1, and it proved to be a great decision by the Canadian striker, giving him the chance to build his reputation without the pressure of performing for a top club.
During 209 appearances in all competitions, the 24-year-old – dubbed 'one of the best strikers in the world' by… Podcaster Tony Marinaro – He scored an impressive tally of 101 goals while showing his dedicated side by providing 23 assists.
This season, David has continued his impressive performances, He scored 17 goals in 26 matcheswhich included four Champions League goals in only his second season in Europe's premier club competition.
Not only did he score four goals in Europe, David scored them as well He also scored 2.3 shots per match In the Champions League, in addition to creating two big chances and succeeding at a rate of 0.8 dribbles per match.
Moreover, the Canadian international striker has excelled among his peers in the five major leagues in Europe. In fact, compared to those who play in a similar position, David Ranked first 2% for goals per 90 (0.86), top 1% for penalties taken per 90 (0.24) and in the top 5% for shots taken per 90 percentage (54.9%) over the previous 365 days.
This certainly proves that he is among the best strikers on the continent, and by joining Manchester City, he will have the opportunity to show his skills in a more difficult league, while also having the opportunity to challenge and win trophies under Guardiola. .
Haaland's level has dropped. There's no doubt about that, but perhaps all he needs is someone to come in and challenge him for the role of a tall striker in the manager's tactical system.
He has had things his way since moving to Manchester in the summer of 2022 and the last few months have been a huge struggle.
If Haaland can come out of this a better player, City could return to their best. Will the club have to enter the transfer market next month to find out?
Only time will tell.
