Manchester City hit with major January transfer window blow as club informs of stance on 23-year-old midfielder | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City have been hit with an early blow to their list of potential transfer targets to assess during the January transfer window, according to reports.

Etihad Stadium recruitment staff are believed to be in the process of assessing the market for possible options to bring into Pep Guardiola’s midfield amid a challenging and unprecedented season so far that has featured seven successive games without a win.

Much of the Premier League champions’ difficulties have been credited to the absence of Rodri from Manchester City’s squad, after the Spaniard was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a double knee injury sustained in September.

However, a multitude of other injury and fitness problems have been far more detrimental to the overall squad picture for Pep Guardiola, who had to compete without any of his four mainstay central defenders at one stage in recent weeks.

But while Manchester City supporters will be urging the club to go out and invest in the midfield ranks during the upcoming January market, it appears as though the club’s options have already been limited.

That is according to the information of Italian newspaper Tuttosport, as translated and relayed by Football Italia, who reveal that Torino have already informed Manchester City that they will not sell Samuele Ricci during the upcoming January transfer window.

It is explained that the Premier League champions are interested in the Italy international in light of Rodri’s long-term injury, and had been ready to invest between €35 million and €40 million in the winter market.

Whilst it is claimed that officials at Manchester City are expected to lodge a bid for Ricci, it is stressed that the Italian club will not change their stance on the player and as such Etihad bosses may have to redirect their attentions to other targets.

Txiki Begiristain and his colleagues at Manchester City are likely to have plenty of other options, and additional previous reports have pointed towards the Italian first division as being a potential haven for targets.

One name that has been floated in various quarters is Atalanta and Brazil international Éderson, who is likely to be a candidate for a big-money transfer to many of England’s other premier clubs, including city rivals Manchester United.

City are confirmed to be welcoming one other name into their first-team squad come the turn of the year, with Argentina youth international Claudio Echeverri joining the Premier League champions following the conclusion of a loan deal at River Plate.