From David Ornstein: Manchester City’s January transfer plans hinted by ‘industry’ insiders | OneFootball

There is a growing belief within the football sphere that Manchester City could enter the January transfer market for much-needed recruitment in the centre of the park.

Pep Guardiola has succumbed to a number of high-profile injury problems within his first-team squad throughout the course of the ongoing season, but none have been more detrimental than the absence of Rodri.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign having sustained a double knee injury in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in September, requiring surgery and initial rehabilitation in the Spanish capital of Madrid.

As such, that has led to Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City coaching staff seeking alternative solutions to the 28-year-old’s absence, including the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan stepping up into the role with relatively little success.

Some have subsequently suggested that Manchester City are in desperate need of turning to the upcoming transfer market in order to fill the void left behind by Rodri, and it appears as though that feeling may be shared by decision makers within the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking to NBC Sports Soccer over the weekend, football insider David Ornstein revealed that some within the football industry feel as though Manchester City may well be about to get involved in the transfer market for midfield reinforcement.

“Let’s see if Manchester City go into the market in January now for that position [defensive midfield],” Ornstein told NBC’s coverage of Premier League football. “I’m hearing a lot in the industry that suggests they may well.”

Options for Manchester City when it comes to the central midfield roles remain relatively uncertain, although a number of names have already been floated in various quarters of the media ahead of the market.

Among the potential names that could be considered are two profiles from Italian football, with a watching brief being maintained over Torino and Italy’s Samuele Ricci, as well as Atalanta and Brazil’s Éderson.

At a potentially much higher-cost, but a name that Manchester City could consider given his familiarity with Rodri both personally and professionally, is Real Sociedad and Spain’s Martin Zubimendi.

The 25-year-old was a highly-favoured transfer target of Manchester City’s Premier League title rivals Liverpool during the last summer market, but a move to Anfield was ultimately rejected in favour of an extended stay in La Liga.