Struggling an notorious Champions League collapse towards Feyenoord earlier within the week, Manchester Metropolis discover themselves on the coronary heart of an notorious rut.
Marking their return from November’s worldwide break with a woeful 4-0 drumming at house towards Tottenham, Pep Guardiola’s defending champions have damaged a string of undesirable data over the previous month.
Now sat eight factors adrift of Liverpool and dealing with an actual uphill battle within the race to defend their Premier League crown, the Sky Blues have additionally collected only a single level from any of their earlier six appearances throughout all competitions.
Exhibiting a string of points on both aspect of November’s fortnight interval, there has additionally been loads of scrutiny over Metropolis’s ageing squad.
With the January switch window quick approaching on the horizon, we’ve taken a have a look at among the European famous person who’re reportedly topping Guardiola’s wishlist.
Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen
Spearheading Bayer Leverkusen’s cost to a maiden Bundesliga crown final season, Florian Wirtz has loved a mesmeric rise to superstardom over the previous 18 months.
Topped Germany’s Participant of the 12 months again in Could and with many tipping the 21-year-old as a future Ballon d’Or contender, Wirtz is now extensively considered one in all Europe’s hottest younger superstars.
Recording 22 Bundesliga aim contributions final season and that includes for Germany on the European Championship’s over the summer season, Leverkusen’s academy graduate finds his stick at a red-hot excessive.
Regardless of continued hypothesis over curiosity from reigning European champions Actual Madrid, TEAMtalk reported earlier within the month that Guardiola’s aspect are sat within the driving seat to gather what can be an enormous scalp.
With that very same report suggesting that Bayer Leverkusen can be prepared to just accept a charge in extra of £90million, Metropolis have already tentatively reached out to the reigning German champions over a possible January deal.
With Kevin De Bruyne’s contract on the Etihad set to run out this summer season and neither half exhibiting that an extension is shut, Wirtz will surely be seen as a dream long-term alternative for Metropolis’s record-breaking midfield talisman.
Martin Zubimendi – Actual Sociedad
On the coronary heart of an actual switch saga over the summer season, it appeared nearly sure that Martin Zubimendi was set to finish a blockbuster transfer to Liverpool.
Nevertheless, with the Spanish worldwide having a late change of coronary heart, the Actual Sociedad ace ultimately determined to remain put at his boyhood membership and reject a transfer to the Premier League giants.
Though the 25-year-old may need made it clear that he needed to remain in Basque Nation just a few months in the past, it has been prompt that Zubimendi is regretting his determination.
With Sociedad struggling to search out any actual stability this season, the EURO 24 winner is reportedly eager on pushing by a Premier League change when the January switch window opens up.
With Manchester Metropolis reportedly a long-time admirer of the Sociedad ace, The Day by day Mail prompt earlier within the week that Guardiola has recognized Zubimendi has his dream Rodri alternative.
Adam Wharton – Crystal Palace
Whereas Adam Wharton may need solely arrived at Crystal Palace earlier within the yr following a reported £22million take care of Blackburn, the 20-year-old has loved a sensational begin to life amongst England’s elite.
Rapidly rising as one in all England’s hottest younger commodities, Wharton made such an impression in the course of the early months of his tenure in south London that he was a shock together with in Gareth Southgate’s EURO 24 squad.
Whereas the previous Blackburn starlet is likely to be at present coping with a hamstring harm, he has continued to obtain a string of reward and is attracting loads of heavyweight consideration.
Gaining a popularity for his capability to interrupt up play and management the tempo of a sport from the center of the park, Wharton seems to have a string of admirers from throughout Metropolis’s hierarchy.
With The Day by day Mail reporting that Guardiola us an enormous fan of the 20-year-old, it has been prompt that Crystal Palace can be a reluctant vendor if a hefty supply got here their approach in the course of the January switch window.