Manchester City’s underwhelming 2024–25 campaign prompted major activity in the transfer market last summer.
The club brought in new faces in goal, at left-back, and in midfield to refresh Pep Guardiola’s squad — a strategy that has paid off, with City once again establishing themselves as one of the dominant teams in English football.
That said, with City aiming to compete for all four major trophies this season — especially the Premier League and Champions League — there remain areas of the squad that could still be improved.
Although a busy January window is not expected, largely because Guardiola prefers to work with a compact group of players, City would be wise not to ignore any smart opportunities that arise. After all, the club showed last year they are willing to act mid-season when necessary.
Below are some of the positions City could look to strengthen this month, along with possible targets.
Right-back has become a problem area since Kyle Walker’s form dipped sharply. At present, City rely on Rico Lewis, who is a natural right-back, Matheus Nunes, who is a midfielder being used out of position, and Abdukodir Khusanov, who is more comfortable as a centre-back.
Many expected City to address this issue in the summer, but no signing was made. Nunes appears to be Guardiola’s current preference, yet he still looks uncomfortable in the role.
If City are serious about returning to the very top of English and European football, there is a strong case that they need a top-class right-back — although such players are rare on the market right now.
City were encouraged by Rodri’s return late last season and at the Club World Cup following his recovery from a major ACL injury, but the Spanish midfielder has faced similar fitness issues again this campaign. Ongoing injury problems have limited his involvement in both domestic and European competitions.
Rodri cannot be expected to play every match, so City must manage his workload carefully. His understudy, Nico González, has yet to fully convince since arriving in Manchester.
While González offers defensive stability and has learned the art of the tactical foul much like Rodri, he contributes very little in possession. At 24, he is still some distance away from matching Rodri at his best.
