Manchester City: Who will start for Pep Guardiola's side after January signings?
2025-01-24
Category: sports

Manchester City have acted in the transfer market this month as they try to avoid their worst season since 2008-09 - the season they were taken over by their Abu Dhabi owners.Earlier this month, boss Pep Guardiola said: "In the summer the club thought about it and I said 'no, I don't want to make any signings'."I relied a lot on these guys and thought I can do it again."But after the injuries - wow - maybe we should have done it."City - who sit fifth in the Premier League - have already signed three players this month for a combined Â£123m.They are Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis and Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov.They are also interested in Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso and Real Valladolid defender Juma Bah.City had not made a significant signing in January since 2018 when they brought in Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte for Â£57m.So how could City look after these signings?
Where will Marmoush fit in?
The standout signing so far is Egypt forward Omar Marmoush.The 25-year-old is the second top scorer in the Bundesliga this season with 15 goals in 17 games for Frankfurt - only behind Bayern Munich's Harry Kane. He tops the assist charts in Germany with nine.Marmoush is fast and can play anywhere along the front line.Last season he played as a lone striker for Frankfurt - scoring 17 goals in all competitions - and this season he has played in a front two."He is really dynamic, a wide forward who can play through the middle," said German football expert Raphael Honigstein."Some people have compared him to Mohamed Salah, perhaps not as tricky or as explosive but his finishing is incredible."But where will he play at City? While Erling Haaland is not having a stellar season by his standards, he has still scored 23 goals and would expect to remain the number nine.City never properly replaced Julian Alvarez after his departure to Atletico Madrid in the summer.Alvarez used to fill in for Haaland as a striker sometimes and play elsewhere too.It feels like the wing is the most likely option for Marmoush now.BBC Sport's chief football news reporter Simon Stone said: "Given his nine-and-a-half year contract, I think it is pretty safe to conclude Marmoush is not replacing Haaland, which means he is going to get one of the wide slots."Jeremy Doku and Savinho have both excelled at times but they have also flattered to deceive and on too many occasions have not delivered the penetration required - and not scored enough goals either. "It is in these positions I would expect to see Marmoush."
How about the two centre-backs?
City could do with a right-back - but both defenders they have signed so far are primarily centre-backs.Brazilian Reis, 19, moved from Palmeiras for Â£29.6m and Uzbekistan's Khusanov, 20, has joined for Â£33.6m.But will either play immediately?"At the age of 19, with only 22 senior appearances at Palmeiras behind him, it is difficult to see Reis as anything other than a player for the future, even though he has the capability to play across the back line," said BBC journalist Stone."Khusanov has more experience and understands European and international football. However, he is viewed more as a central defender. "That said, as with Josko Gvardiol, no-one can be entirely sure what is in Pep's mind for Uzbekistan's first Premier League player."Gvardiol arrived as an international central defender and is now first-choice left-back, so nothing can be taken for granted with Guardiola."Palmeiras wanted to keep right-footed Reis on loan, after he was named in the Brazilian league's team of the season.But City insisted he moved immediately - and they say he will join Guardiola's squad this season."I believe he will have no trouble adapting to the City system because here in the youth teams he was always exposed to playing under risk, having to be involved in the build-up play while also defending efficiently, even in one-on-one situations," Palmeiras Under-20 coach Lucas Andrade told BBC Sport.Khusanov would seem more likely to play soon - after a rapid rise - but is still unlikely to go straight into the team.He has played 24 Ligue 1 games for Lens after an Â£84,000 move in July 2023 from Belarussian side Energetik-BGU."He's a raw profile who needs ironing out," said Luke Entwistle, editor-in-chief of Get French Football News."He's an unpolished diamond, but one worth taking a punt on because the finer details and tactical understanding can be improved by Pep Guardiola. Forty million euros could look like peanuts in a decade's time."Lens' British boss Will Still said: "He's calm, powerful, he's fast."He has very, very impressive potential. Kodir is a tank. He's impressive physically and athletically."
How about the other players they could sign?
Manchester City are interested in signing Juventus and Italy left-back Cambiaso, 24.City have not had a player whose main position is left-back since Benjamin Mendy, whose last game for the club was in August 2021.The French player was cleared of serious sexual allegations in 2023 and now plays for Lorient in France.Cambiaso has been a regular for Juventus this season - and is a senior Italy international.He can also play at right-back, where City have a lack of options with Kyle Walker set to join AC Milan on loan.Matheus Nunes, a midfielder, has played at right-back recently and struggled  against Paris St-Germain in Wednesday's 4-2 defeat."The suspicion is John Stones would be Guardiola's first choice at right-back," said BBC reporter Stone."But Stones is not fully fit. He featured for only 15 minutes against PSG, even though central defender Ruben Dias went off at half-time."Until Guardiola has his defenders fully fit, it seems certain Rico Lewis and Nunes will be asked to play there until a more permanent solution is available."Another player City are interested in is 18-year-old Sierra Leonean Bah.Real Valladolid have accused Manchester City of encouraging him to break his contract to force through a move.He joined Valladolid on a season-long loan from AIK Freetong in Sierra Leone last summer and the club exercised a clause to turn it into a permanent deal this month.But Bah is still under a youth contract and has so far refused to sign a senior deal that would significantly increase his release clause.