Manchester City are now pushing to sign a £42 million midfielder with a “strong personality”, according to a new report. The Blues are not expected to be massively busy in the transfer window come the New Year, but one area that does need addressing is midfield, with Rodri likely to miss the whole season and İlkay Gündoğan looking a shell of his former self.
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Pep Guardiola and co. do have their eyes on two players who would be massive arrivals for them and would also send shockwaves through the Premier League. The first player City are interested in signing is Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The Blues have apparently opened talks with the England international over a potential move to the Etihad. Alexander-Arnold will enter the final six months of his contract at Liverpool in January, and with no sign of a new contract being agreed, he could be on his way out of Anfield in a repeat of Raheem Sterling’s move to Manchester.
Real Madrid have been heavily linked with the defender and are free to talk to him in January, but City are now also keen, though they will have to wait until the end of the season before signing any deal, while foreign clubs can agree a pre-contract this winter.
Another player City are keen on signing in 2025 is Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz. The Premier League side are desperate to sign the German international, and to get a deal done, they are now willing to offer some players as makeweights in exchange for Wirtz. It is unclear who City are willing to offer at this stage and if they will be of interest to Leverkusen, but Wirtz is someone who is definitely on City’s radar.
Man City pushing to sign £42m Brazil midfielder
According to Caught Offside, Manchester City are now pushing to sign Atalanta’s Ederson as a replacement for the injured Rodri. The tough tackling 25-year-old has been one of the Italian side’s best-performing players in the last 18 months or so, as he’s helped Atalanta grow in Serie A and in Europe.
Ederson, who has been dubbed as having a “strong personality” by Tim Vickery, played a key role in Atalanta’s successful 2023/24 season, as he scored six goals in 36 Serie A games, and he played 12 times in the Europa League as the Italian side claimed the trophy.
His performances for Atalanta are not going unnoticed, as this report states that City are now pushing to bring him to the Etihad as Rodri’s replacement. The Blues have been without Rodri since he got injured in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal in September and since then, City have won just four of their 10 Premier League games. The Spaniard has torn his cruciate ligament and is expected to miss the rest of the campaign, meaning a replacement is very much needed.
Ederson
Rodri
Apps
36
34
Goals
6
8
Assists
1
9
Progressive carries
32
76
Progressive runs
50
55
Progressive passes
214
376
Shots (On target)
38 (11)
62 (22)
Passes completed
1390
3365
Passes Attempted
1662
3656
Tackles (WON)
83 (49)
70 (43)
Interceptions
41
26
Blocks
48
32
Ederson is emerging as City’s first choice to replace the Spaniard, and they are now expected to step up their efforts to sign the Brazilian. Liverpool are also interested in signing Ederson, but City are likely to beat them to the signing, as the player himself is “flattered” by the interest from the Blues.
It could cost the Premier League side around £42 million to get a deal done, as it was recently reported that Atalanta would be looking for around 50 million euros to let the midfielder leave.
