For a club as well resourced as they are, it’s incredible how quickly Manchester City plunge into crisis when a player gets injured. The Citizens have been caught out by their decision to not replace Vincent Kompany this summer and with Aymeric Laporte set for a significant spell on the sidelines, Manchester City are left with Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones as their only recognised centre backs. Fernandinho can cover the backline, but Guardiola needs to buy an experienced central defender at the next available opportunity. Here is a look at five men Pep could sign when the transfer window reopens in January :-
- Kalidou Koulibaly :-
For some time now Koulibaly has been linked with a move away from Naples. Guardiola is known to splash the cash and that’s exactly what a move for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly would entail.
Koulibaly has proven himself as a calming presence in defence and makes it extremely difficult for opponents to create opportunities. He boasts a tackle success rate of over 46 per cent, eclipsing the bulk of defenders in the Premier League. His ability to carry the ball is important and a centre back who can step up to add an extra dimension to the team and disorganise the oppositions set up would be a notable addition to this Manchester side.
- Jan Vertonghen :-
Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen has had an unsettled start to the season, after being dropped for the opening three matches and City should consider capitalising on the unrest. He would be guaranteed first team football at the Etihad and in many ways, Vertonghen is the perfect candidate to cover for Laporte. The pair have similar styles of play and the former would certainly fit the bill at Manchester.
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- Adama Soumaoro :-
Featuring at the heart of Christophe Galtier’s defence, Adama Soumaoro was a key player in Lille’s impressive run last season. The 26 year old had a defensive success rate of 39% last season, which was the second best for central defenders across the top five leagues in Europe. He is terrorizing in the air as well, averaging 4 aerial duels per 90 minutes with a success rate of 67.4%.
A key part of City’s playing style is their ability to play out from the back. To do this, they rely on the abilities of their central defenders and Soumaoro will certainly be a valuable addition in this regard. Last season he had posted an impressive passing accuracy of 95.7%.
- Ruben Dias :-
Ruben Dias was one of the stars for Benfica last season and is tipped to become one of Europe’s best centre backs. The 22 year old made his professional debut in 2015 and has not looked back since, clocking up around 100 first team appearances for the Portugesse side. The only problem is that the interest in Dias won’t be limited to the Citizens. The Portuguese was linked with a move to Manchester United over the summer and there is bound to be a bidding war which will shoot his price up.
- Toby Alderweireld :-
Toby Alderweireld looks pretty unsettled at Tottenham and there is a reasonable chance that the Belgian would depart before his contract expires next summer. The 30 year old has grown into one of the finest defenders in the Premier League and City may not have to pay very much to land the defender. In the current transfer market, the Spurs man would be a steal.
