The January transfer window is just around the corner and teams have already begun preparations before entering the window. After playing half of the 2020/21 season, clubs have identified the problems and potential improvements that could be made in January. The list of players in Manchester City ‘s Winter Targets for 2020/21 season should be filled up with various options as Guardiola will be looking to expand his squad further in order to win the eluded Champions League title. Let’s have a look at the possible options for Manchester City’s Winter Targets for 2020/21 season.
Manchester City’s Winter Targets for 2020/21 season: Striker
For a great portion of the beginning of the 2020/21 season, Man City has lacked a reliable man upfront. With Sergio Aguero suffering an injury, Guardiola was forced to play with Gabriel Jesus in front of goal, who although scored a few goals, didn’t fill the void left behind the Argentinian. Added to that, Aguero, who is running out of contract in summer , is also edging towards the decline of his career at 32 years old. Guardiola doesn’t seem to want Jesus as his striker, so he might be on the market for a new face. Here are a few possible additions for that role.
Erling Braut Haaland
Haaland has risen as one of the most promising youngsters in Europe by hitting high tallies in the UCL. His track record is superb for someone of his age where he just doesn’t seem to stop scoring, and he is clearly on track to becoming a future world-beater. Manchester City is one of the big teams in the race for the Norweigan’s signature. This would be a very realistic transfer which could happen. Of course, the German giants, Borussia Dortmund wouldn’t want to part with the wonderkid, unless a large fee is paid. If City genuinely wants Haaland in their side, They’ll need to pay quite heavily.
Possible Role : Haaland would definitely be one for the foreseeable future, as a replacement to the Premier League legend, Aguero. Also, being left-footed could allow Haaland to play alongside Aguero in a two-striker partnership , which could be a stretch for Guardiola, who is not a big fan of 2 strikers. Nevertheless, It could still be a tactical option available.
Paulo Dybala
Although the Argentinian may have slipped under the shadow of the marquee signing, Cristiano Ronaldo , Dybala still continues to shine in his own position. The 27-year-old might be too old for Guardiola’s liking, however, he would still be a top-quality addition to the current Manchester City squad. Despite recording 17 goals and 14 assists last season, Dybala has found himself starved of playtime under new boss, Andrea Pirlo . It is slowly becoming more and more clear that Dybala may not be needed in the Juventus club, which could open his path to leave. It is also rumoured that Dybala has been offered to multiple clubs, including United and City.
Possible Role : As well as being deployed as a second striker, Dybala’s pace and dribbling could allow him to excel on the wing. Being left-footed would allow him to act as a much proper alternative to the current Manchester City wingers, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez.
Lionel Messi
It really does feel weird thinking of Messi in a football shirt that isn’t Barcelona, which was pretty close to happening last summer. A fallout with the Barcelona president, Josep Maria Bartomeu saw an unhappy Lionel Messi. It was clear that Messi was desperate for a move away from the Catalans. One of the clubs linked with the Argentinian legend was Manchester City when Messi confessed his desire to link up with Pep Guardiola once more. Also, a clause in Messi’s contract stated that he could leave for free at any point. Although he didn’t leave, there is a chance that Man City will push for his signature once more this winter. If this is the case, Man City will face very heavy competition from the financial football giants, mainly PSG.
Possible Role : Messi being the great footballer he is, will be able to play in a huge variety of positions. Guardiola will be aiming to get the most out of him, as he once did during his reign at Barcelona. Messi could ease into the second striker position, possible as a false-9 centre-forward. Alternatively, He could also be deployed at RW, where he can cut in on his lethal left-foot, or at CAM, as a potential back-up for Kevin De Bruyne.
Manchester City’s Winter Transfer Targets for 2020/21 season: Left-back
Manchester City has already signed Benjamin Mendy as a potential LB, however, rumours show that Guardiola is unhappy with his progress. Since joining from AS Monaco in 2017, Mendy’s career has been riddled with injuries and poor form, which has meant that he was unable to establish his starting place. Man City has opted to play 24-year-old Oleksander Zinchenko instead who has failed to impress. Nowadays, Guardiola has been occasionally playing the likes of Nathan Ake as the defensive full-back and Joao Cancelo as the inverted, offensive full-back. Although both these players have played well in their roles, none fit the exact role which Guardiola needs, an offensive, left-footed full-back. Here are a couple of potential signings that could be made to suit this role.
Alejandro Grimaldo
The former Barcelona full-back never actually made it to the first-team in Camp Nou. His injury-ridden career forced the Catalans to let go of the Spanish youngster. The 22-year-old now plays for Benfica where he has impressed at high standards. He was also a reported target for City a couple of seasons ago, so Guardiola does still have an eye on him. His injury record might be the deciding factor, but Grimaldo’s potential should definitely not be overlooked.
Possible Role : If Grimaldo impresses during his first few games, he should easily find himself in the starting XI. So far this season, the Spaniard has tallied 1 goal and 4 assists in 9 games, which is exactly the kind of offensive threat Guardiola needs at LB.
David Alaba
The Austrian defender was one of the star faces in Bayern Munich’s road to the UCL final last season. Even though he was played out of position at CB, he still shined. He would love to partner up with Guardiola once more in Manchester, and he would easily slot into Man City’s starting XI as a marquee signing. He wouldn’t come cheap though, with Bayern Munich expecting a larger fee before they let go of the 28-year-old in winter. It is also known that many clubs will also be competing for Alaba’s signature, so if Man City aren’t willing to pay high this January, they may overlook Alaba as an option.
Possible Role : Alaba would quite easily find his place as a regular starting left-back. Guardiola might also decide to play him at CB, as Hans Flick did last season. This would be highly unlikely since Manchester City already have a huge variety of left-footed CB’s.
What should be Manchester City’s Winter Targets for 2020/21 season? Let us know in the comment section below.
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