Manchester City

Manchester City went second in the Premier League after thrashing Aston Villa 6-1 on Sunday. Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick to set two top-flight records, while Riyad Mahrez bagged a brace and Gabriel Jesus also found the net at Villa Park.  

Aguero's second goal helped him surpass Arsenal legend Thierry Henry as the highest-scoring foreign striker in Premier League history. His third completed a 12th hat-trick, breaking Alan Shearer's record for the most in the competition.

The emphatic win means the Citizens capitalised on Leicester City's surprise 2-1 defeat at home to Southampton on Saturday. City are still 14 points behind leaders Liverpool, who have also played a game less.

Meanwhile, Villa, who scored via an Anwar El Ghazi penalty in injury time, stay in the bottom three after being overtaken by a resurgent Watford side that beat Bournemouth 3-0 earlier in the day.

City boss Pep Guardiola signalled his intent with a bold team selection that paired Aguero and Jesus together up top. Yet it was Mahrez who stole the show ahead of City's prolific strikers early on.

The winger used all his wizardry to leave former Leicester City team-mate Danny Drinkwater trailing before firing the visitors into an 18th-minute lead. It was proving to be a rough Villa debut for Drinkwater, who recently joined on loan from Burnley, and his misplaced pass helped Mahrez complete a brace six minutes later.

Riyad Mahrez in the Premier League this season:

• 12 starts
• 12 direct goal involvements

Fantastic record. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xAoryZ9lf6

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 12, 2020

Does Danny Drinkwater realise that he’s no longer teammates with Riyad Mahrez?

That's two assists he's provided for Mahrez now 😂 pic.twitter.com/aA1sMgcuSt

— ODDSbible (@ODDSbible) January 12, 2020

Mahrez had City purring, and the confidence began showing among the attacking talent around him. Aguero was obviously bullish when he picked up the ball outside the box on 28 minutes. The Argentinian took the shot on and was rewarded when the ball rifled into the back of the net. It was a goal fitting of drawing City's prolific No. 10 level with Henry.

There was still time for City to add a fourth in first-half stoppage time. It was beautifully crafted, with Kevin De Bruyne striking a pinpoint pass for Jesus to convert:

Kevin De Bruyne is ridiculous 🤭 pic.twitter.com/o420xQtAXr

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) January 12, 2020

If Villa expected mercy after the break, Aguero showed them ruthless City had other ideas. The 31-year-old finally surpassed Henry to have the record all to himself following some fine work from David Silva 12 minutes after the restart.

Aguero's numbers put his staggering achievement into even more impressive context:

🇦🇷 Sergio Aguero:
⚽️ Goals: 176
🏟 Games: 255

🇫🇷 Thierry Henry:
⚽️ Goals: 175
🏟 Games: 258

Aguero overtakes Henry’s record as the Premier League’s top overseas scorer. pic.twitter.com/jKhAXChpgf

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) January 12, 2020

Sergio Aguero is now the fifth highest scorer in Premier League history and the highest scoring overseas player 👑🍾 pic.twitter.com/MLpUsPWrIa

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 12, 2020

Having the points in the bag allowed Guardiola to rest some key players. He withdrew De Bruyne and Fernandinho for Phil Foden and Nicolas Otamendi, before Ilkay Gundogan came on for Rodri.

Aguero stayed on, and he wasn't content with earning just one record. Instead, he sealed his 12th hat-trick at this level:

🚨 MOST HAT TRICKS IN PL HISTORY 🚨

Sergio Aguero take a bow 👏 pic.twitter.com/UN2SVvFgsW

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) January 12, 2020

⚽️⚽️⚽️ Most hat-tricks in @premierleague history:

1⃣2⃣ @aguerosergiokun
1⃣1⃣ @alanshearer
9⃣ @Robbie9Fowler
8⃣ @ThierryHenry, @HKane, Michael Owen pic.twitter.com/9e47A2jugy

— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) January 12, 2020

Villa's lone moment of joy came after Gundogan felled Trezeguet in the box. VAR confirmed the decision to award a spot-kick, and El Ghazi made no mistake from 12 yards.

There was also no mistake about City's awesome class in forward areas. This team almost certainly won't win a third title in a row, but there's little doubt Guardiola's group remains the most entertaining to watch.

What's Next?

City host Crystal Palace on Saturday, while Watford have an FA Cup third-round replay away to League One strugglers Tranmere Rovers set for Tuesday.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said the champions "trust" Phil Foden to help fill the void when David Silva leaves the Etihad Stadium at the end of the campaign.

Silva's time at City will come to an end this summer. He is rated as one of the best midfielders to play in the Premier League and has helped City win the top-flight title four times.

When asked about landing a replacement for Silva at the end of the campaign, Guardiola said there is faith in Foden to step in and become a regular in the side, per Sam France of Goal:

"Phil is an incredible player, but he still has things to improve. Sometimes it takes time to understand exactly what he has to do. Sometimes you have to be patient.

"But David is going to leave this season, and we are not going to buy any player in his position because we have Phil. We trust Phil. If we didn't believe in him, we might go to the market to replace David, but we have Phil."

Silva has been a mainstay in the City midfield since he arrived at the club from Valencia in 2010, and the 34-year-old is highly thought of by some of the biggest names in the game:

David Silva turns 34 today.

He does the football, others do the talking ✨ pic.twitter.com/LGROzyj6Er

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 8, 2020

City are blessed with other options in central midfield, with Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva all adept at playing ahead of a holding player. Foden looks set to provide stiffer competition for a spot in the side from next term too.

The 19-year-old is still not a regular, although he continues to impress when he does get opportunities in the Premier League and cup competitions. In the UEFA Champions League, he has two goals and two assists this season. He also scored in his previous start, a 4-1 win over Port Vale in the FA Cup:

They make it look so easy ✨@PhilFoden gets his well-deserved goal for @ManCity!#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/N4oEybmJnW

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 4, 2020

In possession, he is resourceful and graceful, and he puts in a shift off the ball, as these figures from StatsBomb illustrate:

Want to know who was active and aggressive in defense this week? Here’s your list of players who excelled at defending in the opposition half over the New Years fixtures. pic.twitter.com/WnqrARdGkE

— Hudl Statsbomb (@Statsbomb) January 3, 2020

City lost Vincent Kompany last summer and opted not to sign a replacement. It's a decision that's cost the team this term, with Aymeric Laporte suffering with an injury and the team lacking defensive cohesion as a result.

With that in mind, City fans may be a bit cautious about Silva's departure with nobody coming in to replace him. For Foden, filling those shoes will be a big challenge, though he's showcased glimpses of enormous potential early in his career.

Aymeric Laporte is working an intense schedule to aid his comeback from injury, but Pep Guardiola still doesn't know when Manchester City's key centre-back will be fully fit.

Laporte has been recovering from a knee injury he suffered against Brighton & Hove Albion in August that required surgery, and Guardiola said on Friday he is now training again, per Goal's Russell Greaves:

"He's training every day, he feels good after training and the day after he feels good, that is good news. I don't know when he'll be ready to play some games. He needs a little bit more time but he moves really well. The operation was good. We wait for the doctors to say he can start to play."

The update is an uncertain one, but the positive outlook offered by Guardiola is excellent news for City. So was Laporte sharing a video of some of his work in training on Twitter on Thursday:

Sergio could never 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/VBdkUY5KXy

— Aymeric Laporte (@Laporte) January 9, 2020

He has been sorely missed, with vulnerability at the back the chief reason the Citizens look set to relinquish the Premier League title. City, who captured the prize in each of the last two seasons, trail leaders Liverpool by 17 points with 17 games remaining.

Goals haven't been a problem for Guardiola's men, who have found the net 56 times, the most in the division. Yet City's defence has been breached 21 times in 17 games without Laporte and 24 times in total, compared to just 14 for Liverpool.

Guardiola has struggled to fill the Laporte-shaped hole at the heart of the back four. He hasn't been helped by the indifferent performances of Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones, with the latter also blighted by injury.

Their issues have forced Guardiola into moving Fernandinho out of the base of midfield. While the Brazilian has performed well as an auxiliary centre-back, his aggression as a ball-winner have been missed further forward.

However, Guardiola hit back at critics of the ploy following the Brazilian's standout display during Tuesday's 3-1 derby win over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg:

Guardiola's response to praise of Fernandinho in defence:
"Yeah, but he has to play in central midfield. It's a big mistake for the manager, he has to play holding midfield." 🙃

— Simon Bajkowski (@spbajko) January 7, 2020

Pep on Fernandinho: "He is our leader. I will never forget what this guy has done in this period. He has played how many positions."

— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) January 7, 2020

While Fernandinho may have vindicated Guardiola's plan to reshuffle the back line, Laporte's absence has also cost City going forward.

The France international's long-range distribution can release City quickly on the break, and Guardiola noted how much his team has missed Laporte's link-up with winger Leroy Sane, who is also absent with a long-term knee injury: "When we need to make movements in behind, Leroy is the best and of course Aymeric for being left footed, playing the left side and how good and how quick he settled in this league since he arrived."

Getting Laporte and what he adds to both phases of the game back will be a major fillip for the rest of City's season. Their title hopes look to be over, but there is still a potential Carabao Cup final and the defence of the FA Cup, as well as Guardiola's attempts to finally win the UEFA Champions League with the Manchester club.

Facing Real Madrid's experience and quality in the last 16 will demand a natural defender as skilled as Laporte is up to full speed.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said he's "not involved" in any transfer discussions regarding Leroy Sane amid speculation linking the player with a move to Bayern Munich.

Throughout the summer, Sane was continually mentioned as a target for the German champions. However, a move never materialised, and the winger's season has yet to get going after he suffered a long-term injury in City's Community Shield clash with Liverpool in August.

Sane hasn't made a competitive appearance since and is continuing to work his way back to full fitness. When asked about fresh rumours linking Bayern with an approach for Sane, Guardiola said he doesn't get involved in transfer talk, per Chris Burton of Goal:

"It's a question for Leroy, his agents and the club. I am not involved. What's important now is that he recovers well. After that, he knows what we believe in him, what we think of him and the rest is up to him and the club.

"It's not awkward [that Sane wants to leave] because I can't see him on the pitch. He is a nice person, I know him quite well. I was the guy who pushed the club and asked him to come here. But each one has his own family, desires and dreams."

Here is more of what Guardiola had to say about the German forward, per Andy Hampson of the Press Association:

Guardiola on Sane #MCFC pic.twitter.com/Nsc1MPsyEr

— Andy Hampson (@andyhampson) January 10, 2020

City posted the following images of Sane back in training again recently:

First steps on the road to recovery 👣

💪 @LeroySane19
🔵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/tlu5TmkM2n

— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 9, 2020

The Premier League champions have missed the 23-year-old being available this term, as he is capable of providing a thrust on the flanks at his best.

Since moving to English football, Sane has terrified his fair share of defenders. On the left wing, his ability to surge into space, take on opposition defenders and produce quality in dangerous areas makes him one of the most difficult attackers to stop in the country.

Sane won the PFA Young Player of the Year award after an excellent 2017-18 campaign and was again vital as City retained the prize last term.

With that in mind, City supporters would no doubt be disappointed to see the winger move on, although according to Sam Lee of The Athletic, players in the squad expect him to eventually leave:

City players are expecting Sane to leave for Bayern, most likely
in the summer (obviously Bayern said today that January isn't an option). He got back to Manchester last week to step up recovery. Was in LA with a City physio for the most part. https://t.co/lQsKYDnGxX

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) January 9, 2020

A big issue for City is Sane's contract, which is set to expire at the end of next season. It means that beyond this summer, the player's valuation will begin to decrease significantly should he opt against signing a new deal.

At this point, it appears more likely that Sane will end up at the Allianz Arena than recommit to City. Guardiola will hope a swift return to full fitness and a strong end to the campaign may convince the Germany international to remain at the Etihad Stadium.  

A Manchester City supporter has been handed a five-year ban from football after being found guilty of racially abusing Raheem Sterling in December 2018.

Ian Baldry, 58, pleaded guilty to the charge of abusing the England international when he scored for the Premier League champions in a 3-1 win at Bournemouth.

According to Jamie Jackson of the Guardian on Friday, Baldry told the Manchester court he "regretted using the language involved and [it] was due to over-excitement."

The judge told Baldry: "The kind of language used by you and [your] co-accused risks wider public disorder in matches and could encourage others to behave in the same way."

James McConell, a friend of Baldry, also admitted to racially abusing Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings and match stewards in the same game. The 57-year-old was handed 200 hours of community service.

Both men had been reported to police by a fan who witnessed their outbursts.

The witness statement read: "It was disgusting in this day and age that this was going on. I was shocked and offended and felt sick to my stomach when I heard it."

Incidents of racism in football have continued to be highlighted in recent years, with Sterling himself previously a target. The England international has been vocal in his support of players who have received abuse and discrimination.

Kevin De Bruyne has said Manchester City spent only 15 minutes working on the system change that led to their 3-1 win over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday. 

Pep Guardiola sprung a surprise ahead of the Old Trafford clash when he named strikers Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus on the bench and played De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva as false nines.

In contrast to December's derby at the Etihad Stadium, when Guardiola played a 4-3-3 and saw his side torn apart on the counter-attack in a 2-1 defeat, the plan worked brilliantly.

City were 3-0 up by half-time after goals from Silva, Riyad Mahrez and an Andreas Pereira own goal.

KDB ended Phil Jones 💀 pic.twitter.com/Ygiy3MJMQv

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 7, 2020

Marcus Rashford pulled one back for the hosts in the second half, but it was a convincing display from City.

De Bruyne has now said City spent very little time working on the system change as it is one they have used before elsewhere, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian:

"We did 15 minutes this morning. That's about it. But it's not like we never did it before so we did already a sometimes against teams who prefer to play man against man—Cardiff, United I think, Barcelona the way we did it the first year. So we've done it a couple of times."

City are back in action in the Premier League on Sunday when they visit Aston Villa.

Guardiola will have been satisfied by the excellent performance his side produced against United, and they will need to maintain that kind of form if they are to have any chance of reeling in leaders Liverpool in the title race.

The Reds are 14 points clear of the two-time defending champions with a game in hand:

🔝 6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/MSo17KejAx

— Premier League (@premierleague) January 2, 2020

City could win every one of their remaining 17 games of 2019-20 and still finish some way off the top.

But that is the target they must be aiming for, and Villa should pose no major threat to City given they are sitting just a point above the relegation zone.

In the reverse fixture back in October, City won 3-0.

Liverpool have some tough fixtures coming up against Tottenham Hotspur, United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, so all City can do is keep winning and hope Jurgen Klopp's side finally slip up.  

Manchester City star Fernandinho has revealed he is close to signing a new contract with the club, courtesy of a clause in his current deal.

Per ESPN Brasil, the 34-year-old explained how his contract will be renewed automatically once he reaches specific targets, and talks are ongoing:

"When I renewed at the end of 2018, we put a clause that if I reached certain goals, my contract would be renewed automatically.

"Conversations have already started, we talked about it last month. I am close to reaching those goals and renewing the contract, but we can only confirm it after signing.

"The club have already shown interest in me staying, I have also shown [my interest] in staying."

He also said he doesn't mind playing as a centre-back, even though his natural role is in midfield:

"It's good as long as you can be at the highest level. Playing in a different position opens up the range of learning.

"In defence, I see the game in a different way. It has been very cool, and the guidance I have received from Pep (Guardiola) has been very good.

"At 34, playing in the Premier League is a source of pride. Many, many players wanted to be experiencing what I am experiencing."

The veteran's current contract is set to run out in the summer. Last month, manager Pep Guardiola said the club wouldn't make a decision on his future until the end of the season, per James Robson of the Evening Standard.

The Brazilian has been with the Sky Blues since 2013, playing a key role as the holding midfielder. He has proved a perfect fit under Guardiola the last few seasons, opening up space for the many creative players around him with his steady defensive work.

The departure of Vincent Kompany and an injury to Aymeric Laporte saw him move into central defence for much of the 2019-20 season, but the transition was almost seamless for the veteran.

Sky Sports Football reserved high praise for Fernandinho after the 3-1 win over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup:

Manchester City's most important player?

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 8, 2020

Fernandinho appears to have found a perfect home at the Etihad Stadium and doesn't appear to have any desire to leave. The feeling appears to be mutual, with Guardiola joking after the United win, per Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News:

Guardiola's response to praise of Fernandinho in defence:
"Yeah, but he has to play in central midfield. It's a big mistake for the manager, he has to play holding midfield." 🙃

— Simon Bajkowski (@spbajko) January 7, 2020

The clause should make the negotiations a little easier, but even without it, the two parties likely would have found a solution. Fernandinho is too important to the team to let walk, even at the age of 34.

Manchester City beat Manchester United 3-1 in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday at Old Trafford.

The defending champions ran rampant in the first half and took the lead in style when Bernardo Silva curled a fabulous strike into the top corner after just 20 minutes.

Riyad Mahrez rounded goalkeeper David De Gea to make it 2-0, while an Andreas Pereira own goal ensured the visitors went in at the break with a healthy lead.

Manchester United managed to pull one back through Marcus Rashford, but it's City who have the advantage heading into the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City started without a recognised striker in their starting XI, leaving both Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus on the bench. Guardiola opted to start with Bernardo in attack alongside Raheem Sterling and Mahrez and it proved a masterstroke by the Manchester City boss.

The Portugal international broke the deadlock with a sumptuous strike that gave De Gea no chance. He received the ball from Kyle Walker, nudged the ball on to his left foot and placed an unstoppable strike past De Gea (video UK only):

A STUNNER FROM SILVA ⭐

Manchester City lead against Manchester United in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Watch on Sky Sports Football or follow here: https://t.co/vKpD6NYij8 pic.twitter.com/AWb02ORLtw

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 7, 2020

The 25-year-old then turned provider to tee up Mahrez for Manchester City's second. Bernardo picked up possession in the centre circle and threaded a ball for Mahrez to calmly round the United goalkeeper and knock into an empty net:

15 - Riyad Mahrez has started 19 games in all competitions for Manchester City in 2019-20 - in those games he has been directly involved in 15 goals (6 goals & 9 assists). Fruitful.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 7, 2020

Another quick Manchester City break brought their third goal on 38 minutes. Mahrez played in Kevin De Bruyne inside the penalty area, who turned past Phil Jones and left the defender on the turf. De Gea managed to block the Belgian's shot, but the rebound hit Pereira and rolled into the net:

https://twitter.com/RichJolly/status/1214647713473736707

The visitors continued to attack and could have had more goals before the break. De Gea denied Bernardo at close range with a fine stop, while Sterling was inches away from connecting with a De Bruyne cross at the far post:

3+ - The most 3+ goal half-time leads in all competitions away from home since Pep Guardiola took over Manchester City in 2016-17 (English sides):

Man City 13
Tottenham 4
Arsenal 3
Chelsea 3
Leicester 3
Man Utd 3
Swindon 3

Silly. pic.twitter.com/HMJh2GcQM1

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 7, 2020

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a change at half-time by bringing on Nemanja Matic for Jesse Lingard, but Manchester City continued to dominate until a drop in intensity allowed the hosts to pull one back.

The Red Devils took advantage of some unusual sloppy play in midfield between De Bruyne and Rodri, allowing Mason Greenwood to slip in Rashford to fire a low shot across goal and past Claudio Bravo:

Marcus Rashford’s career record against the rest of the Premier League ‘Big Six':

⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs. Chelsea
⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs. Man City
⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs. Liverpool
⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs. Spurs
⚽️⚽️ vs. Arsenal

He pulls one back. pic.twitter.com/pNRSXeFc65

— Squawka (@Squawka) January 7, 2020

Rashford's goal will give United a glimmer of hope they can produce a comeback in the second leg to knock their local rivals out, but it will need a significant improvement from Solskjaer's side who were outclassed for the majority of the 90 minutes.

    

What's Next?

Manchester United play Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday at Old Trafford, while Manchester City are back in action on Sunday at Aston Villa.

 

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said he would never take charge of Manchester United after his time at the Etihad Stadium comes to an end. 

The Spaniard is contracted at City until the end of next season but has faced speculation that he could leave the club at the end of this campaign.

Per Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail, the former Barcelona boss said of his future: "After training City I won't train United. It is like I would never train Real Madrid. Definitely not. I'll be in the Maldives if I don't have any offers. Maybe not the Maldives because it doesn't have any golf courses."

According to Gaughan, Guardiola had dinner with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2012 to discuss the possibility of taking over at Old Trafford.

Ferguson retired the following year and was replaced by David Moyes, while Guardiola went to Bayern Munich.

Given how the Red Devils have fared since the Scot called time on his storied career in 2013, it is likely a source of great regret that Guardiola did not take his place.

The 48-year-old was promoted from Barcelona B to first-team coach in 2008. He took a 12-month sabbatical upon leaving the club in 2012, then had three years at Bayern Munich from 2013 until he moved to City in 2016.

During his relatively short time as a manager, he's won an enormous amount:

Pep Guardiola breaks a tie with Jose Mourinho for most trophies won among active managers. 👀🏆 pic.twitter.com/giuMC5pYMT

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 12, 2019

His honours include eight league titles—from a possible 10—and two UEFA Champions Leagues.

The lowest points total one of his teams has achieved is 78, which City accrued in his first season at the Etihad, and they've taken 90 or more points on six occasions.

Such is the high standard he's set, this season—in which they trail Liverpool by 14 points—is already being judged a failure:

🗣 "I have failed every year since I won six trophies in my first season at Barcelona"

Has this season been a failure so far for Pep Guardiola? pic.twitter.com/TZNDDCR9ru

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) January 3, 2020

As for United, since 2013 they've managed just two top-four finishes in the Premier League, exceeding 70 points once. They've not entirely been without silverware, having picked up an FA Cup, the League Cup and the UEFA Europa League.

It is not just Guardiola's incredible trophy haul United have missed out on, though. The two longest-serving managers they've had since Ferguson retired, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, have won a great many honours in their respective careers but neither will be remembered too fondly.

What the Red Devils have perhaps missed out on most of all is the incredible football his sides play. Excitement and entertainment have been rare commodities at Old Trafford.

United's best Premier League goal tally since 2013 is 68, while Guardiola's teams have never scored fewer than 80.

When Guardiola does leave City, whether it's this season, next season or after an extended stay at the club beyond 2021, it will be a difficult day for their supporters, but at least they can rest assured knowing he won't be joining their bitter rivals.

Manchester City are reportedly considering adding to their defensive options in the January transfer window, with Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar and Shakhtar Donetsk's Mykola Matviyenko said to be on their shortlist. 

The Premier League champions have struggled in defence this season, with Vincent Kompany leaving the club in the summer and no replacement drafted in. Aymeric Laporte has also been sidelined with a long-term injury, while John Stones has picked up a number of knocks.

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic (h/t Oli Gamp of the MailOnline), the worries over the defence have prompted City into considering some possible moves in the January window.

Ornstein also reported that Bournemouth's Nathan Ake and Leicester City's Caglar Soyuncu also on their radar:

Manchester City have a list of at least five centre back options they want to recruit and among the options are:

• Milan Skriniar (24)
• Mykola Matviyenko (23)
• Nathan Ake (24)
• Caglar Soyuncu (23)

[via @David_Ornstein] pic.twitter.com/rj97IJCnbc

— City Report (@cityreport_) January 6, 2020

If City were to make a move in the January window, it will be at odds with the answers provided by Pep Guardiola recently on possible incoming players:

Guardiola says no buys in January

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) December 27, 2019

Of all the players interesting City, Skriniar is the most high-profile and would arguably be the most difficult to prise away.

It's said that after signing a new contract at the San Siro recently, Inter would likely demand a fee in excess of the £80 million that Manchester United paid to sign Harry Maguire in the summer, which was a world-record amount for a defender.

Skriniar would arguably be worth that kind of outlay, as the 24-year-old has cemented his status as one of the best centre-backs in the game in recent years.

He'd also be an ideal fit for City and the brand of football they play under Guardiola. In addition to being a commanding and physical presence in defence, Skriniar is adept in his work on the ball too:

Best pass success rate in Serie A this season:

🥇 N. Maksimovic -- 95.9% (Napoli)
🥈 S. De Vrij -- 95.0% (Inter)
🥉 M. Skriniar -- 94.8% (Inter)https://t.co/x7C9pK8Ce8 pic.twitter.com/WEUjuA6hDy

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) October 9, 2019

In the past, Skriniar has been linked with a number of top clubs, with his agent confirming last year that Real Madrid and Barcelona wanted to sign him:

"Real Madrid and Barcelona have been competing for his signature for the last two years" 🗣

Milan Skriniar could be on his way to the Santiago Bernabeu 👀

— GOAL News (@GoalNews) November 19, 2019

Matviyenko is not a household name, but City have been keeping tabs on his performances in the UEFA Champions League this season, per Ornstein. The Ukrainian international played in both games against the Manchester outfit in the competition.

At the start of the season, the decision not to sign a defender was a curious one from City, and it has ultimately cost them. With Laporte absent, the team have been regularly shaky at the back and prevented City from challenging for the Premier League title.

With Liverpool 14 points clear of the defending champions, it's almost unthinkable that any defender brought in in January will be part of a domestic league win. However, if City are to seriously challenge in the Champions League this season, it feels like an area they need to strengthen.