Manchester City need legs in midfield and a Brazilian midfielder looks to be the perfect man for the job | OneFootball

With the international break in full swing, it does allow time to assess how Manchester City have begun this season. Pep Guardiola’s side started the season strongly but suffered a hiccup before the current international break. When looking at City’s past four performances they looked to have needed legs or energy in midfield. Injuries and players being forced to play every 3/4 days did look to have caught up to the world champions.

The hope is that a host of Manchester City players have the opportunity to rest over the international break, which can aid the City’s cause going forward. With the January transfer window still two months away City’s current midfielders have to carry the midfield load. Players such as Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Matheus Nunes will be tasked with leading City’s midfield out of their current slump. They are all more than capable of doing the job until January. However, I do think it’s almost nailed on that Manchester City will sign a midfielder in January. With Rodri out for the season, they almost have to.

Manchester City won’t find a like-for-like Rodri replacement but I believe a midfielder who can add energy in the number 6 role would be ideal.

When midfielders are linked with a January move to Manchester City they are often classed as the ‘Rodri replacement’. If Manchester City look for that type of player in January they will face a tough task. Rodri’s game is such that he is almost the only player capable of playing the way he does. His recent Ballon d’Or win is a testament to this fact. Sam Lee and Thom Harris have written a well-researched piece in the Athletic naming four players who can, in theory, play like Rodri. The players they name are Martin Zubimendi, Exequiel Palacios, Angelo Stiller and Bruno Guimaraes. All four are fine players but one player is missing from their list. That is Atlanta’s Brazilian midfielder Ederson.

Ederson is a different type of player to Rodri. He plays as a number six, but he does it in a different manner to Rodri. Ederson does a lot of the defensive work in midfield for Atalanta. But he is also no slouch in possession. The statistics below show his progressive pass map from the 23/24 season. Ederson is good in possession, and he often starts Atalanta’s attacks from midfield. That trait alone would be ideally suited to Manchester City’s midfield.

There is an intelligence to Ederson’s play that helps him excel defensively. It is a key component of his game. His energy in midfield would add something to City’s midfield that they currently lack. Of all the midfielders Manchester City has been linked with, Ederson does offer something different to the other players linked to the world champions.

Summary

Pete O’Rourke has previously reported for Football Insider that Manchester City have been laying the groundwork ahead of a potential move for Ederson. As stated above I believe the case is mounting that the Brazilian midfielder is the ideal player for City to add to their midfield in January. He offers something different to what Rodri provides the world champions. There is also the possibility that if City signed Ederson he could play alongside City’s midfield general when he returns from injury. That would give the champions a strong midfield platform to build upon for next season and beyond.

All of the factors combined above do present a compelling case for Ederson to be the midfielder City look to sign in January. Only time will tell if the world champions will move for the Brazilian midfielder.