On the back of four successive defeats in all competitions, the chances of Manchester City signing a replacement for injured midfielder Rodri have increased once again.
The Ballon d’Or winner is set to miss the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against Arsenal in September.
Mateo Kovacic has filled in but he has struggled at times, leaving Pep Guardiola’s side vulnerable to the counter-attack.
Martin Zubimendi has been repeatedly linked with Manchester City, external since Rodri’s injury. Liverpool were interested in the summer but he opted to stay at Real Sociedad.
He reportedly has a £51.7m release clause, external but that is unlikely to hinder City from making an approach for a man who tends to play as a defensive midfielder, but can also feature a bit further forward.
Ederson is another who has been linked with the English champions and a mainstay of the Atalanta team, but this season is his first taste of Champions League football and that may be a concern.
He tends to play a central midfield role, but has played both deeper and further forward.
Samuele Ricci was one of the first names linked with City after Rodri’s injury. There were reports, external that the Blues sent scouts to watch Torino’s game against Inter Milan to cast their eye over Ricci.
He is capable of playing as a defensive midfielder or slightly further forward and has become a regular in Italy’s team since Euro 2024.
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