Manchester City are reportedly said to be interested in the signature of Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez before the end of the January transfer window.
Pep Guardiola's side managed to beat Club Brugge 3-1 on Wednesday and secure their place in the Champions League round of 16 playoffs.
However, the Citizens will play Real Madrid in the playoff match for a place in the round of 16 against either Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen.
City are also currently fourth in the Premier League with 41 points but trail league-leaders Liverpool by 12 points despite having played a game more.
Sky Sports report that Guardiola could be reinforced by the arrival of Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez should City agree a fee with his current club, though the English side are not willing to activate his release clause of £50m.
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Manchester City's ambitious January
In a bid to save what is left of their 2024-25 season, City have already signed forward Omar Marmoush, as well as defenders Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Juma Bah.
The Premier League champions have spent more than £130m in the January transfer window, with the club looking to revitalise their ageing squad.
Marmoush is the oldest arrival at the Etihad but is just 25 years old, and though it looks like Liverpool are too far ahead to be caught, perhaps City are hoping that an injection of youth could inspire the side to glory in either the Champions League or the FA Cup.
Gonzalez would not be a like-for-like replacement for Rodri given he is more of a central midfielder capable of playing in a deeper role, but he is energetic and able to cover ground.
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Manchester City's midfield revamp
Guardiola's side also reportedly hold an interest in midfielders Douglas Luiz of Juventus and Ederson of Atalanta, both of whom are significantly more mobile than the current group at the Spaniard's disposal.
Ederson is a particularly tenacious midfielder and would arguably be more suited to sitting at the base of midfield than Gonzalez from a defensive perspective, though there are question marks about his ability on the ball.
Luiz already boasts considerable experience in the Premier League thanks to his spell at Aston Villa, and his ability on the ball is unquestionable, but he would likely be better suited to playing in a double pivot.
Regardless, it is clear that City intend to bounce back from their disappointing season as soon as possible, and it would not be surprising if they were back competing for the Premier League title next season.
Lewis Nolan
