What Manchester City need to do before Monday's transfer deadline?
It's safe to say this summer has been a curious one by Manchester City's standards. It started with Leroy Sane leaving, then offered hope of Lionel Messi arriving and has ended with more money spent in defence.
Pep Guardiola has already spent well over £100m on new signings this summer but you could argue their squad is actually weaker than it was last season following the departures of both David Silva and Sane. Even still, the City head coach is hoping for one more addition before Monday's deadline.
As another transfer window draws to a close, we assess the weakpoint in City's squad, who is on their radar and the one signing they should prioritise above all over the next few days.
Where they are weak
Even after investing more than £100m in new players this summer, you still get the feeling they are a long way off being a side capable of catching champions Liverpool over a 38-game season. Guardiola has incredibly spent more than £400m on new defenders alone during his time at City and that aspect of the team looks to be in reverse. They will hope Ruben Dias' arrival earlier this week, for the cost of £65m, will address that.
Even after the double signing of both Nathan Ake and Dias, Guardiola is still eyeing one more defensive recruit. Benjamin Mendy is in last chance saloon, while Oleksandar Zinchenko, not even a left-back, is free to leave. It was thought Ake was signed as cover for Mendy but Guardiola's interest in a new left-back suggests otherwise.
Some will argue Gabriel Jesus is not up to standard to replace Sergio Aguero on a long-term basis but such a big call will not be made with just a few days left in the transfer window. Passing on a reunion with Thiago, only to let him join Liverpool without fight, certainly raised eyebrows particuarly given Fernandinho's age and Rodri's struggles. However, in defence is certainly where City are found wanting and was perfectly illustrated in their 5-2 defeat to Leicester last weekend.
The Transfer Targets
With a left-back the last piece in the City jigsaw this summer, so-to-speak, Guardiola's side have been heavily linked with Ajax's Nicolas Tagliafico. The Argentina international is reportedly keen to make the move to the Etihad, unsurprisingly, but any deal hinges on whether they can first shift a defender. Zinchenko was the obvious player to make way but now he is injured City are struggling.
Tagliafico has been a key player for Ajax during his three years at the club and in last season's Champions League group stage he became the first defender to garner a perfect WhoScored 10 rating in a game in the competition since we started receiving Opta data for it 10 years ago.
While a deal for the 28-year-old would appear relatively straightforward given Ajax's willingness to sell, he is not the only target on City's radar. Bayern Munich still haven't made a breakthrough in contract talks with David Alaba and City are reportedly monitoring the situation.
📈 David Alaba's best WhoScored rated Bundesliga campaigns:
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) October 2, 2020
🥇 2013/14 - 7.55 rating
🥈 2012/13 - 7.32 rating
🥉 2014/15 - 7.24 rating
👀 Pep Guardiola was in charge of Bayern for two of those campaigns pic.twitter.com/77pZhWUxWx
Who they should sign
The fact there is little time left in the window may dictate what target City go for if there is room in the squad for another left-back, but if there is half a chance of landing David Alaba then they should go after him.
Bayern find themselves in a similar situation with Alaba as they did with Thiago in that the versatile defender has 12 months left on his contract. Unlike Thiago, however, Alaba is open to staying but if they can't agree on terms then he could in theory leave for nothing next summer.
That is a situation Bayern will want to avoid and is what gives City some hope. Alaba produced the best football of his career during Guardiola's time at Bayern, even excelling in midfield at times. After struggling for the same form once Guardiola left, Alaba returned to his best last season as Bayern romped to the European treble.
Having spent a lot of money on players already this summer that will need time to get used to Guardiola's demands, getting in someone like Alaba who can hit the ground running straight away, covering a variety of positions, would be a massive help for the title challengers.
