Manchester City desperately need a midfielder in January but they must be versatile | OneFootball

As Manchester City were picked apart by Tottenham on Saturday on their way to a 4-nil defeat at the Etihad the lack of legs in Manchester City’s midfield was clear for all to see. It stood out with each counter from Ange Postecoglou’s side that picked the world champions apart. Come the final whistle it was obvious that City must move for a midfielder in January. They cannot afford not to. But who the ideal midfielder for the world champions to target in January remains to be seen.

In my opinion, Manchester City needs a player for the now, and one that can play with Rodri when he returns from his ACL injury. That narrows down the search. Players such as Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad or Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace could do a job before Rodri returns. But they do appear more suited to playing as a traditional number 6 only. I believe that Manchester City need a player who can step into City’s midfield now and can play alongside Rodri when he returns.

For that, there appears to be one player who stands head and shoulders above the rest of the midfielders linked with a move to Manchester City. That is Atalanta’s Brazilian workhorse in Ederson. His performance for Atalanta in their 3-1 win over Parma on Saturday was the perfect example of this.

Watching Atalanta’s win you could see what Ederson would add to the world champions midfield.

Ederson’s performance against Parma showed both sides to his game. His performance showed that he could help bring life to Manchester City’s midfield in January. But it also showed that if Manchester City did land the Brazilian he could slot into City’s midfield alongside their midfield general. That’s where Ederson stands head and shoulders above every other midfielder that has been linked to City recently.

In the first half of Atalanta’s win, Ederson played as more of a number 8. Think of a typical Ilkay Gundogan performance during his first spell with Manchester City. The Brazilian played higher up in Atalanta’s midfield and got himself in dangerous positions in the final third. He got himself on the scoresheet by scoring Atalanta’s second goal of the game. But he also created several chances and showed immense technical ability in his game. Those attributes alone would be of great benefit to Pep Guardiola’s side. He also showed his range of passing as he regularly played a cross-field ball to spread the play for Atalanta. It was Rodri-esque some of the passing displayed by the Brazilian midfielder.

But in the second half, Ederson dropped into a more traditional number 6 role. He sat back and covered the Atalanta defence as Parma pressed forward. On several occasions, his ability to track back with speed was pivotal to Atalanta snuffing out several dangerous Parma attacks. Watching his performance you couldn’t help but think that is exactly what Manchester City lacked during their dismal defeat at the hands of Tottenham on Saturday.

Ederson can help Manchester City in January and form a dominant midfield partnership with Rodri.

Watching Ederson’s performance against Parma you could see exactly how he would immediately help Manchester City. But you could also see that if he did sign for City a potential midfield pairing of Ederson and Rodri could almost be perfect for Pep Guardiola’s side. Ederson could easily play alongside City’s midfield general. While City need a number 6 they also need a player who can play with Rodri. It’s not a simple matter of finding a Rodri replacement so to speak. City needs a player who can help now and add another dimension when Rodri returns. Ederson is that player in my opinion.

Thiago Fernandes has reported for GOAL that Manchester City have recently submitted an enquiry to Atalanta for Ederson. Based on his performance at the weekend it’s easy to see why. Now, the hope is that Saturday’s defeat to Spurs and City’s recent form forces the champions to move for the Brazilian midfielder in January. I feel they have to and Ederson ticks all the boxes required of a midfielder who can help City now and when Rodri returns from injury next season.