The surprising bargain who is perfect for Man City

Tom Weber

• Updated: 10 Jan 2024 19:46 GMT
• 3 min read

It may seem a crazy suggestion to Bundesliga fans, but Florian Neuhaus might just be a perfect reinforcement for Manchester City.

The midfielder reportedly wants out of Borussia Monchengladbach this month, feeling that he has been underutilised by new coach Gerardo Seoane, with homegrown Rocco Reitz stealing the show this term. Seeing Neuhaus leave would be a big blow to this erstwhile Bundesliga behemoth, even if his story is largely one of unfulfilled potential.

Once one of the most highly-rated central midfielders in Germany, Neuhaus only rarely lived up to his potential after putting himself on the map with a stunning loan spell at Fortuna Dusseldorf in 2017/18. His time at Gladbach has been one of some great highs but mostly lows, especially in recent seasons.

To say his career has stagnated would be an understatement. Last season, an injury derailed his campaign and he rarely managed to play 90 minutes under Daniel Farke. This season under Seoane, Neuhaus has struggled to establish himself in Gladbach's stacked midfield, which boasts the aforementioned Reitz, sought-after Manu Kone and former Dortmund star Julian Weigl.

According to Sky Germany, Neuhaus wants a January move - likely a loan-to-buy - and among the interested clubs are Sevilla, Napoli and Lazio. But what about a move to the Premier League?

Neuhaus to...Man City?

It seems almost outrageous to suggest that a player whose career has stagnated as much as Neuhaus' would be a good option for a team that won a historic treble last season, but the German could be a solid reinforcement for Man City.

At least that's according to experts SciSports. The data firm rightfully points out that, despite limited minutes, Neuhaus has actually not been bad for Gladbach this term. In fact, according to their data, he has been one of the better midfielders in the league this term, though somewhat skewed by the fact that he has been surprisingly prolific in front of goal, scoring three times from central midfield.

Neuhaus would not be a starter for any elite Premier League side given his form in recent seasons, but in terms of ability, he is still a very good midfielder on his day. Because of this, SciSports believes that the 26-year-old could be useful to Pep Guardiola.

A technically very gifted player, Neuhaus would be an affordable and reliable backup option in midfield. Ability-wise, SciSports rates Neuhaus more than Matheus Nunes, who has been disappointing since his summer arrival, and wantaway holding midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

According to SciSports' Career Advice tool, the German would be a brilliant stylistic fit for City, though there would be concerns about his prospects of getting regular minutes. Ultimately, then, it seems highly doubtful that the Etihad club would be interested in Neuhaus - and that he would be interested in them given that he wants to play regularly - but stranger things have happened in a January transfer window.