He nearly completed a blockbuster move in the summer transfer window…
Manchester City are now plotting an exciting move for a high-profile star in January as Pep Guardiola looks to revive his side’s chances of retaining the Premier League title, according to a report.
Man City form…
On Saturday, an incredible late fightback from Crystal Palace to claim a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium from 2-0 down ensured that Manchester City dropped more points in the English top-flight for the fifth time in their last six matches.
At present, the Citizens have racked up 34 points from 17 fixtures played in the league so far; nevertheless, four draws and three losses have created a little bit of daylight between Guardiola’s men and their rivals as the Catalan boss looks to deliver a historic fourth title in succession.
Man City plotting move for “passing master” to replace Kalvin Phillips
In his post-match press conference, Guardiola claimed that his side fully deserved to suffer their fate on the day, saying:
“It’s not bad luck, it’s deserved. We give away two points. When you give away this penalty, you deserve it. We are not able to close the games. That is the feeling.”
Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing in the eyes of Manchester City fans given the excess games in hand they will need to deal with, the Sky Blues will now turn their attention to Club World Cup duty in the coming week, with a semi-final tie against Urawa Reds next to come on Tuesday.
Hosted in Jeddah, there will be another chance for Guardiola to add another piece of silverware to his mightily impressive cabinet in Manchester; however, he and his recruitment staff are keeping a keen eye on potential January targets in the background.
And, according to a new report, Manchester City could be set to raid a rival Premier League club for one of the division’s most talented midfield stars.
Man City eyeing Joao Palhinha move
According to The Daily Star, Manchester City have earmarked Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha as a January target and are now planning a £50 million swoop for the midfielder to add steel to their engine room ahead of the second half of the campaign.
Chelsea and Liverpool have also expressed interest in the Portugal international in recent times; however, the pair are now said to be reluctant to add more reinforcements in midfield come the New Year. Of course, the 28-year-old was close to moving to Bayern Munich for a fee in the region of £65 million in the summer; nevertheless, the deal collapsed late in the window.
Labelled “fantastic” by Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan, Palhinha has been ever present this campaign for the Cottagers, registering two goals and one assist in 16 appearances across all competitions (Palhinha statistics – Transfermarkt).
Manchester City could do with some added dynamism in midfield, especially if Kalvin Phillips leaves as expected, and Palhinha could be another impressive signing that would show that sporting director Txiki Begiristain and Guardiola mean business as they aim to seal more Premier League glory.
Leave a Reply