As the January transfer window opens, it is inevitable that every Premier League team will scour the market for potential signings who could make the crucial difference between winning the title, qualifying for Europe or avoiding the dreaded drop. Managers always run the risk of making panic buys which dramatically backfire, and with clubs often increasing the asking price for their players in the hope of deterring interested parties, there is the danger of failing to receive value for money in the current day market.
Financial Fair Play rules may prevent certain clubs from being as active as they would like to be, but Manchester City have plenty of financial muscle to flex whenever they feel the time is right. Manuel Pellegrini may have injected a more controlled approached to transfers in contrast to the managers he preceded, but with the defending champions showing true quality and character to claw back Chelsea’s lead at the Premier League summit, the Chilean may look for high quality signings to further enhance their charge towards a successful title defence. While Jose Mourinho’s side remain favourites with Coral to finish on top, Manchester City could defy the odds through top quality acquisitions this month.
Wilfried Bony
Swansea’s Ivorian powerhouse striker appears set to be the first arrival at the Etihad during the January transfer window, with a £30 million fee reportedly agreed between the two clubs. The 26-year-old has been in wonderful form ever since arriving in the Premier League in 2013 from Vitesse Arnham in Holland, with Bony utilising his considerable strength and quality to lead from the front and score vital goals that have pushed Swansea into the top half of the table. Garry Monk has reluctantly admitted that he will not stand in Bony’s way should he decide to leave the club, but only on the condition that Manchester City match their valuation of their prized asset. While Bony would represent an excellent coup for Pellegrini, the Ivorian’s participation at the African Cup of Nations would mean City fans may have to wait until February to see their potential new signing perform.
Christian Benteke
Sergio Aguero’s injury problems, combined with Stefan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko’s lack of confidence in front of goal, may result in Manchester City going all out to bring in at least one, if not two or three, strikers to add more firepower. One potential target is Christian Benteke who is rumoured to be unsettled at Aston Villa as they continue to struggle at the wrong end of the table. It may take a considerable bid to convince Paul Lambert to part with his star striker, particularly as they have scored a measly eleven goals in twenty Premier League fixtures. The 24-year-old has begun to find his sharpness in front of goal following a lengthy injury layoff, with the Belgian international likely to find it difficult to turn down Manchester City’s overtures if they make a move for his services.
Alexandre Lacazette
Alexandre Lacazette may be a surprise name on the list of potential targets for Manchester City, but delve further into the 23-year-old’s development in France and it is easy to see why the defending Premier League champions would be more than interested to sign him. The Lyon striker is in the form of his life, with Lacazette finally fulfilling his true potential by developing into one of the leading goal-scorers in European football. Lacazette not only has eight goals in his last five appearances in all competitions for Lyon, but has already surpassed the fifteen Ligue 1 goals he registered last season. Seventeen goals in nineteen league fixtures illustrates just how good Lacazette has been in 2014/2015, with the striker adding clinical finishing to match his blistering speed and acceleration to make him one of the most feared players in French football.
Source: http://football-talk.co.uk/
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