10 players who could join Man City in January
Martin Macdonald
- Updated: 2 Jan 2022 14:20 GMT
- 5 min read
Manchester City are one of the richest clubs in the world and so can freely spend on transfers more than most teams out there.
No matter how well the team is performing on the pitch, Pep Guardiola is always looking to improve his star-studded squad and there are indeed a few areas in which it is short.
In the summer, Man City tried and failed to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham following the departure of Sergio Aguero.
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Therefore, the majority of our list is made up of centre-forwards.
Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina)
There are few strikers in Europe currently who are in better form than Dusan Vlahovic at Fiorentina.
Vlahovic has, it must be said, proven to be a slow burner. He was highly-rated at Partizan Belgrade despite scoring just once in 21 league games over a span of two years.
It took him a year after his Serie A debut, in September 2019, to score his first goal in Italian football, but since then, he has shown himself to be a force to be reckoned with in front of goal.
He scored 21 goals in Serie A in 2020/21 and already has 16 goals this term. He will be a costly purchase for Man City, even more so in January as the Viola won't want him gone mid-season.
Benjamin Sesko (Salzburg)
Man City have been linked to Erling Haaland in the past, but they also have an interest in a player dubbed 'the new Erling Haaland' in Benjamin Sesko of RB Salzburg.
The fact that Sesko has been likened to Haaland gives an indication as to his talents and also how he plays, while he would represent a significantly cheaper option.
His height of 6ft 4in would suggest he perhaps isn't the quickest, but that certainly isn't the case as he manages to combine his presence with a quite brilliant turn of pace that can terrorise defenders.
Sesko is Slovenian and started his career at Radece before periods at Rudar Trbovlje, Krsko and Domzale.
Andrija Radulovic (Graficar)
Though Andrija Radulovic has enjoyed a burgeoning reputation for a little while now, it was a match in the UEFA Youth League between Red Star and Tottenham that put him on the map as he scored and performed superbly in a 2-0 win for the Serbian side last year.
Over the past year he has become a full member of the first team squad at Red Star and is in the process of making the position at right wing his own.
He is currently on loan at Graficar to aid his development, but could be a player to look at in the future for Man City if a deal can be agreed in January.
Amine Gouiri (Nice)
Amine Gouiri has already had a relatively big move in his career as he made the choice to leave Lyon for Nice.
He has excelled with the latter in Ligue 1, emerging as one of the most talented players in the division.
Gouiri would certainly fit in to Man City's system, too, a she is able to play in any of the positions along the front three including on the wing and as a centre-forward roaming from the middle.
Nice are under no obligation to sell, though, so Man City would need to table a big-money offer for the French side to consider a departure.
Nico (Barcelona)
Nico is part of the upcoming generation of midfielders at Barcelona which is giving the club cause for optimism in a period of uncertainty both on and off the pitch.
Even though Nico is an excellent player, he has arguably been overshadowed by the presence of both Pedri and Gavi.
If Guardiola wants another Barcelona maestro-type player in his midfielder, Nico would probably the most attainable out of the three.
Barca don't want to sell, but they desperately need money.
Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
Man City tried to sign Romelu Lukaku last summer before he eventually returned to Chelsea and they will surely be interested in returning for him in 2022 following the recent sensational events in west London.
Lukaku confessed that he is unhappy at Chelsea and criticised manager Thomas Tuchel at the end of December.
This led to him being dropped and the very real possibility that he could leave the club just six months after returning.
Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad)
Mikel Oyarzabal is part of a Real Sociedad side who have been superb in La Liga this season, with the Basque side currently riding high in third.
The attacking midfielder is a major part of those successes so far as he has six goals in 12 starts in the league from the left forward position.
Oyarzabal has a contract with the Basque club that is set to run until 2023, which also currently makes him one of the highest paid players at the club.
However, that doesn’t mean he’s unobtainable. Like all players in Spain, Oyarzabal has a minimum fee release clause, which currently stands at €75 million.
Sergio Gomez (RSC Anderlecht)
At the moment at Man City, Joao Cancelo is the number one left-back back despite being right-footed.
Even though he has been magnificent in that position, reinforcements may be required with only Oleksandr Zinchenko the only natural replacement routinely available.
City may turn their attentions to a La Masia graduate in Sergio Gomez, who is currently plying his trade with Anderlecht.
From left-back this season, he has an outstanding record of 13 goal contributions in 18 starts in all competitions.
Gomez has scored five himself and set up a further eight, highlighting how creative he can be bombing down that left wing.
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Man City did not get their number one centre-forward target in the summer of 2021 but that doesn't mean they won't try again in January, even if Tottenham will command a large fee again.
The deal is probably less likely not only due to the price tag, but also due to the presence of Antonio Conte at Tottenham as Kane will be more content at Spurs knowing he is playing under a top class manager.
The links will happen again, but it will likely just be speculation.
