Report: How £50m Liverpool target now feels about Man City transfer behind the scenes
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Manchester City’s latest 2-0 defeat at the hands of Juventus was yet another indicator of how far one of the best teams in the world has fallen.
Jamie Carragher’s troubling assessment of Manchester City is that they are in a “massive crisis”, having won just one out of their last 10 games in total.
Micah Richards agreed with Jamie Carragher about the Sky Blues’ form no longer being a mere “blip.”
Carragher compared Guardiola’s headache to Jurgen Klopp’s, as he feels the Catalan’s City side is similar to Liverpool’s in the 2022/2023 season which featured excessive ageing players and declining stars such as Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.
With the current Manchester City roster featuring nine players who are aged 30 or above, they might need to rebuild their squad.
A player who has been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium is Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi.
Last month, it was reported that Manchester City are “constantly watching” Zubimendi as they view him as a summer target.
Why Martin Zubimendi has “reservations” about Man City transfer
On Wednesday, a claim also surfaced that Liverpool would try to sign Zubimendi in the January transfer window if the opportunity presents itself, who has a release clause worth £50 million.
While last Thursday, Zubimendi was “more ready” for a transfer than when he rejected a move to Anfield in the summer, as per journalist David Ornstein.
However, The Telegraph has reported that the Spanish international has “reservations” about a move to Manchester City as he fears being a mere understudy to Rodri, who is considered the world’s best holding midfielder.
As a result, the 25-year-old could wait until the summer to take a final decision over his plans for the future.
The sought-after conductor is contracted to Real Sociedad until 2027.
Zubimendi news shows where Rodri can be a curse for Man City
In November, the Daily Star reported that Rodri recommend City to sign Zubimendi as a replacement for him in January.
Even if Pep Guardiola had accepted that a move in the winter window seemed unlikely, his fellow countryman would have been tailor-made to become a part of City’s midfield cohort.
However, Rodri is such a phenomenal defensive midfielder that not many players who play in the same position would back themselves to push him for a starting spot.
Kalvin Phillips’ fate at the Etihad Stadium is the best possible example of why the Ballon d’Or winner is irreplaceable in Manchester City’s setup.
All City can do is persuade Zubimendi, with Guardiola potentially pitching him how both him and Rodri can play in the same midfield on a consistent basis.
