FOOTBALL works in cycles, it’s just that Pep Guardiola’s are a little swifter than most. The Catalan coach has never stayed more than four seasons at the one club as a manager and on the basis of that customary expiry date and Manchester City’s performances and results this season he is nearing the end of another cycle.
This time, though, things might pan out a little differently. At both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Guardiola moved on, taking on a new challenge once his ideas and methods saturated in the minds of his players. But at Man City, Guardiola reportedly wants the freedom to build a new team, to repeat the trick for a second time.
If the defending Premier League champions, whose crown is slipping with almost every game Liverpool win, want to keep their manager, they mustn’t waste time in overhauling their squad, starting this month. The transfer window is open and City must start making moves now in preparation for next season.
️ Pep Guardiola on the January transfer window and Aymeric Laporte:
"I took that decision, we couldn't invest in summer, why do you have to invest in December? I like my squad, we have problems with injuries, but if we have the chance like with Laporte – a clause…"#MCFC
— Man City Xtra (@City_Xtra) December 31, 2019
City have spent around £885 million on players over the past five years, but so much of that was poorly invested. This is illustrated by the state of Guardiola’s defence. All it took was a long-term injury to Aymeric Laporte for Man City to fall apart at the back, with Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones both so unconvincing that Guardiola has frequently favoured Fernandinho at centre-back.
The full-back areas are similarly something of a wasteland. £156.5 million was spent on the signings of Joao Cancelo, Benjamin Mendy and Kyle Walker and yet none seem to currently have Guardiola’s trust, particularly in the case of Mendy who has faced questions over his commitment, or a perceived lack thereof.
Ben Chilwell has been mentioned as a potential target. Indeed, the Leicester City left-back would address a real problem for Man City, although the Foxes would demand a hefty transfer fee for a player only getting better and better. Ricardo Pereira would also improve the squad at the Etihad Stadium, but getting the Portuguese international out of the King Power Stadium at the same time as Chilwell would be extremely difficult.
Nathan Ake is attracting attention this January, with Chelsea reportedly interested in luring the Dutch international back to Stamford Bridge, but he would arguably be a better fit for Manchester City. Ake is the sort of defender Guardiola likes. There’s good reason to believe he would thrive under the Catalan’s stewardship.
Manchester City have been watching Inter Milan's defender Milan Skriniar (24) who has also been targeted by Barcelona and Real Madrid.
City are ready to back Guardiola in the January window and are in the market for reinforcements to sort out their leaky defence. pic.twitter.com/qkiNZ1V5cq
— Transfer News (@TransfersLlVE) January 7, 2020
Elsewhere, City’s issues are largely down to mentality more than personnel. The intensity and tempo of their play has dropped since last season, but in Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden, Rodri and Bernardo Silva there is a midfield core that can be the club’s engine for years to come. Factor in Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling and Man City are still in a good place going forward.
The impending exit of David Silva at the end of the season makes a move for another edge-of-the-box creator likely, with Kai Havertz mooted as a potential target. The sale of Leroy Sane, who is widely expected to join Bayern Munich at some point in the near future, would also open up a space in Guardiola’s squad.
Never before has it been so difficult to make multiple signings in the one transfer window. Signing football players, particularly at the elite level, is a complicated business that takes time. Anyone signed this month will have a better chance of taking root and absorbing Guardiola’s ideology for next season. If Man City are to solve their problems and return to the top of the English game after the summer, the process must start right now.
