Sports activities Mole takes a look at five players who Man City could look to sign in the January transfer window to replace injured midfielder Rodri.
The news that Manchester City supporters had been dreading has now been confirmed. Critical person midfielder Rodri has suffered knee ligament injury and Pep Guardiola now has a significant project to address.
Rodri sustained his injury during the first half of final weekend’s 2-2 map with Arsenal in the Premier League, following an innocuous coming-together with Thomas Partey at a nook.
The Electorate gain printed that “assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis,” however it has been reported that Rodri could be ruled out for the remaining of the season, whereas Guardiola printed on Tuesday that the Spaniard requires surgical treatment and shall be out for “a long, long time”.
Rodri has been labelled by Guardiola as “the best holding midfielder in the world” and has been a vastly influential figure in a Man City aspect which gain acquired 11 trophies since he joined the membership in 2019, including four consecutive Premier League titles and one Champions League.
In the short term, Guardiola is determined to call upon the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Matheus Nunes, Rico Lewis and John Stones to share midfield tasks in a deeper position.
Then again, Man City could be compelled to enter the January transfer window to recruit a new holding midfielder – a spot they explored the likelihood of strengthening in the summer sooner than opting to preserve their money in their pockets.
Here, Sports activities Mole takes a look at five players who Man City could look to sign in the January transfer window to replace Rodri.
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
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One name who became continuously linked with a transfer to the Etihad Stadium in the summer became Newcastle considerable person Bruno Guimaraes, however his £100m inaugurate clause – which has since expired – allegedly place aside the Electorate off signing the Brazil international.
The 26-year-aged could moreover no longer gain had the strongest of begins to the new marketing campaign, however he has established himself as an integrual first-crew participant beneath Eddie Howe since joining the membership from Lyon in January 2022.
Adored by the Toon Army, Guimaraes has contributed with 17 targets and 17 assists in 113 appearances as a deep-lying midfielder for Newcastle across all competitions, and he helped the Magpies qualify for the Champions League two seasons in the past courtesy of a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Ought to composed Guardiola be proficient with a £300m warchest, as previously reported, a significant chunk of that could be place aside towards signing a participant fancy Guimaraes, who Newcastle would certainly no longer desire to let spin on a budget, especially with honest beneath four years composed remaining on his contract.
Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
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This time final year, Adam Wharton became plying his change at Championship membership Blackburn Rovers, however he’s now strutting his stuff in the top flight with Crystal Palace where he has enjoyed a fast rise beneath the tutelage of Oliver Glasner.
The 20-year-aged speedily cemented his place in the Eagles XI in the second half of final season, making 16 appearances, and he played a key position in helping the membership both preserve away from a relegation fight and finish in the top 10.
Wharton became rewarded with an England call-up for Euro 2024 in the summer and has since started all five of Palace’s Premier League games this term, despite the indisputable truth that Eagles fans will trouble the prospect of top European golf equipment battling for his signature in the reach future.
Indeed, Man City had been allegedly one of a choice of golf equipment including Right Madrid and Bayern Munich who had been keepings tabs on Wharton in the summer, and it has since been reported that the Electorate gain earmarked the young midfielder as a super signing in 2025, however they could moreover gain to fend off competitors from Liverpool for his products and services.
Martin Zubimendi (Right Sociedad)
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Could Man City replace Rodri with one of his Spanish compatriots? When the La Roja considerable person became taken off with a hamstring injury in the Euro 2024 final against England, Martin Zubimendi came on as his replacement and produced a controlled midfield explain en route to continental glory.
The 25-year-aged is widely idea to be one of basically the most easy holding midfielders in La Liga and despite the indisputable truth that he became the field of distinguished hypothesis in the summer, he opted to cease place aside at boyhood membership Right Sociedad, where he has made 195 appearances since and including his senior debut in 2019.
Then again, it has been reported that Zubimendi now regrets turning down the chance to join Liverpool, who had been strongly linked with the midfielder, whereas Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich gain moreover been credited with an interest.
It would no longer reach as too distinguished of a shock if Man City had been to develop into the following membership to join the sprint for Zubimendi, who’s understood to gain a €60m (£50.9m) inaugurate clause in his contract, and the chance for him to work beneath Guardiola – a fellow holding midfielder in his playing days – could be regarded as too lawful to flip down.
Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)
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Frenkie de Jong is identified to were admired by Erik ten Hag‘s Manchester United for a whereas, however he has moreover been linked with a colossal-money transfer to the blue aspect of Manchester in the previous.
The 27-year-aged is understood to gain had reservations over joining the Pink Devils and is currently happy at Camp Nou, where he has made 213 appearances in all competitions since making the transfer from Ajax in 2019, chipping in with 17 targets and 21 assists.
Then again, De Jong could allegedly be persuaded to join Man City as he’s ‘attracted’ by the regarded as playing for Guardiola and became stated to be interested in moving to the Etihad in the summer.
De Jong’s injury document could be a bid for City, however he’s composed widely revered as one of many top deep-lying midfielders in Europe and Barcelona’s financial predicament could abet in the Electorate’ quest to recruit the Netherlands international.
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
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The lengthy-term future of Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich is believed to be uncertain as his contract at the Allianz Enviornment is due to expire in the summer of 2025.
Guardiola, who worked with Kimmich during his three-year spell in fee at Bayern, is allegedly determined to sign both the German and his compatriot Jamal Musiala next summer, however the Electorate could moreover now notion to step up their pursuit of the previous in January.
Kimmich, who’s happy operating as a defensive midfielder or a honest-lend a hand, became tipped to leave Bayern in the summer in search of a contemporary project having spent the final nine seasons in Bavaria, recording 42 targets and 106 assists in 396 appearances.
The eight-time Bundesliga winner has moreover been linked with Liverpool and Barcelona, despite the indisputable truth that he has hinted at the likelihood of extending his cease at Bayern, who are determined to preserve preserve of the 29-year-aged.
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