da dobrowin： Pep Guardiola's side normally plan for the future in the January transfer window, but they also urgently need to sign cover for irreplaceable Rodri

da pinup bet： Manchester City are the best in the business when it comes to squad planning, but they tend to make the vast majority of their signings over the summer when there is a wider range of players to choose from.

Although the club has made some clever January moves in the past, signing Shay Given, Wayne Bridge and Edin Dzeko in the winter, they have become more cautious since Pep Guardiola became coach. Nonetheless, City have still made some important acquisitions in recent years, snapping up Gabriel Jesus from Palmeiras in 2017 and Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Club in 2018 to fill gaps in the team.

But their shrewdest move of all was capturing Julian Alvarez from River Plate in 2022 for just £14 million ($18m), albeit they waited six months before bringing the forward into their squad.

Guardiola has tempered expectation ahead of this window, insisting he doesn't need any more players in his squad of world champions, unless there are outgoings. Kalvin Phillips is the most likely player to leave after being given scant opportunities, while Sergio Gomez could also depart in search of more playing time.

Even if Phillips does not find a new club, City clearly need some more back-up in midfield as they have become over-reliant on Rodri, losing all four matches that their Spanish lynchpin has missed this season. There is also the opportunity for them to capture some young talents before their rivals, just as they did with Alvarez.

GOAL looks at the players City should be targeting in January to make their all-conquering squad even better…

GettyYoussouf Fofana (Monaco)

If Phillips does leave then Fofana would be an ideal replacement. The France international is a box-to-box midfielder who is as comfortable sitting deep and anchoring his team as he is getting forward and orchestrating play, contributing to four goals this season for Monaco.

Fofana has not had an easy path to the top and was dropped from France's national academy in Clairefontaine aged 15, prompting him to make his way in lower-league football and working as a pizza delivery boy to pay the bills.

His determination has paid off and he is now a regular fixture in the France side – impressing at the 2022 World Cup – as well as one one of the most influential players for Monaco, who have risen to third in Ligue 1. He is 24 and valued at around £30m ($38m), making him an attractive proposition for City – especially if they get a sizeable transfer fee for Phillips.

AdvertisementGetty Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)

Bayer Leverkusen are the only unbeaten team in Europe's top-five leagues and Palacios is one of the main reasons why. The Argentina international has been a mainstay for Leverkusen but has excelled under Xabi Alonso, improving his attacking productivity with two goals and three assists at the halfway stage of the season.

Palacios was heavily linked with Real Madrid after being one of the key players in River Plate's 2018 Copa Libertadores triumph but the move was abandoned and it was probably for the best. Instead he took the safer route to Europe with Leverkusen in 2020 and has honed his game and turned into one of the best players in the Bundesliga.

Now he is ready for a move to an elite side and would be available for around £40m ($51m), an affordable price to ease the burden on Rodri.

gettyJoshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

Guardiola was the man who transformed Kimmich's career by signing him from RB Leipzig – then in Germany's second division – and putting him straight into his first team at Bayern Munich. He also turned him from a right-back into a midfielder.

Kimmich has continued to grow since Guardiola's departure and a reunion could be on the cards as the Germany international has followed the example of many of his fellow Bayern players and run down his contract, which expires in 18 months, decreasing the price his club can demand for him.

Unlike with Phillips, there would be no question of Kimmich not fitting into Guardiola's demanding style of play. And he could also take the baton from Bernardo Silva if the Portuguese finally gets his wish and moves to Barcelona or Benfica in a year or two.

GettyClaudio Echeverri (River Plate)

After pulling off one of the greatest bargains in recent years with Alvarez, City already have a track record of signing young players from River Plate, and Echeverri looks set to be their next target.

Echeverri, who has been compared to Lionel Messi, has only played five matches for River's first team but has shone in youth football, scoring five goals in Argentina's run to the Under-17 World Cup, including bagging a hat-trick against Brazil in the quarter-finals.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have also shown an interest in the 17-year-old attacking midfielder, who is nick-named (the little devil) and renowned for his daring dribbles. But City are in pole position to sign him for just £20m ($25m) according to reports in Argentina, although, as happened with Alvarez, he would remain with River Plate until the summer at least.