Manchester City has spent heavily in the bigger picture of an otherwise modest January transfer window for the Premier League. However, none of the three players they have brought in are defensive midfielders.
With the rough patch Manchester City has gone through over the last 3 months, due to injuries and overall poor form from those fit to play, it's little surprise that they are splashing the cash to try and make a recovery and push for a Champions League spot come May in the Premier League. According to Bernardo Silva, "we've lost it" when referring to the title that seems to be in Liverpool's hands at the moment.
With Rodri still early in his recovery from his ACL injury, John Stones and Ruben Dias in and out of the defense, and Kyle Walker now out on loan with AC Milan, defensive reinforcements took priority. This did end up catching many by surprise, with the large public asking why Manchester City hasn't targeted the one position they had been missing the most, a defensive midfielder.
They brought in teenager Vitor Reis from Palmeiras, Abdukodir Khusanov from RC Lens, and most notably, Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt, two of which made their Manchester City debuts against Chelsea in a 3-1 win.
So, why hasn't Manchester City been pursuing a defensive midfielder?
You can quickly ascertain that there aren't many ready-made defensive midfielders that would be ready to come into this City side on the market. Martin Zubamendi was one name that appeared in early rumors before the window opened, and one that has been swirling a bit longer is the pursuit of a reunion of Pep Guardiola and Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich.
According to reports, this is still a move that could be on the cards in the final days of the January window, however, it seems unlikely for a player of his caliber and status at his current club to be wrapped up and brought to a new club in such a short period of time. This deal will likely become too complex or drawn out for Kimmich to move in the next few days.
This begs the question, why wasn't a deal for a midfielder the first thing on the docket in the Manchester City hierarchy? They've clearly started a bit of a rebuild earlier than they anticipated, and it is becoming more and more of a pressing matter. The likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic simply don't have the legs they used to, and aren't able to provide the necessary protection and coverage ahead of an everchanging defensive line.
After briefly exploring a return for former City player Douglas Luiz, the terms that Juventus were looking for didn't suit the City or the player who has become accustomed to starting at Aston Villa and having minutes with Juventus. This is a luxury he would likely only see for the coming months until the return of Rodri sets him back into the bench unit.
This brings me to the biggest challenge I believe Manchester City are facing: they have a world-class defensive midfielder, one who will absolutely retain his spot when he comes back from injury next season. While he would be an incredible teacher, out of players that have the top quality that City requires, who would be willing to ride the bench when Rodri returns? There are very few players who would have the patience and humility to sit and wait their turn if City is truly looking for another top-tier player in that position.
Any player below that level, would likely not move the needle this season, something that Manchester City desperately needs in whoever they decide to pursue. They face a tough decision. Bring in a backup quality defensive midfielder, in the hopes that he can blossom (but not too much) in the next 5 months, or sign a ready-made defensive midfielder that could become discontent with his playing time in a matter of months come next season.
Do you think Manchester City will get a deal over the line for a defensive midfielder, or will they have to wait until the summer window to get their target?