Pep Guardiola personally chooses two midfielders he wants Man City to sign in major squad overhaul
Pep Guardiola has reportedly decided that he wants to sign two midfielders to turn Manchester City's fading fortunes around.
City have lost five games in a row in all competitions for the first time since 2006, with Guardiola recording the unwanted statistic for the first time in his entire managerial career.
The latest of those defeats was a humiliating 4-0 loss at home to Tottenham on Saturday, during which City were routinely carved open defensively.
Erling Haaland also missed key chances at the other end, with City's 21 shots on goal at least being one factor that will not worry Guardiola.
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Questions have been raised of City's squad in recent weeks, especially the age profile and the amount of underperforming players in key positions.
And according to the Daily Mail, Guardiola has determined that City's midfield must be improved both in the short-term and long-term to arrest their current slide.
It is claimed that the Spaniard wants to target his compatriot Martin Zubimendi, who currently plays for Real Sociedad and rejected a move to Liverpool over the summer.
Zubimendi would add competition for Rodri in the long-term, with the 25-year-old having replaced the City stalwart - who will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury - at half-time during the Euro 2024 final against England.
He is yet to renew his contract in San Sebastian, which expires in 2027, and he has a release clause of £58 million.
However, City's interest may convince Liverpool to go back in for the midfielder with Arne Slot's side currently eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
City's second target will also be well-known to Liverpool fans for the wrong reasons.
Atalanta midfielder Ederson, who produced two starring performances in the Europa League quarter-final clash between the two teams last season, is also said to be keen of interest.
Like Zubimendi, he is 25 years of age but is a more attack-minded midfielder, having netted six goals in all competitions this season.
Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla claimed that Manchester United 'asked for information' about the Brazil midfielder in the summer but were rejected, with reports indicating that a fee in excess of €50 million would need to be paid to sign him.
Topics: Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Transfers
Ryan Smart