Manchester City considering move for Real Sociedad star in reaction to Rodri injury blow | OneFootball

Officials from Manchester City are reportedly considering a move for Liverpool’s number one target from the summer transfer window in reaction to Rodri’s injury.

The Spanish international defensive midfielder has sustained a long-term injury that will rule him out of action for the remainder of the ongoing season, having picked up the problem in the dramatic 2-2 draw against Arsenal before going on to undertake surgery in Spain.

Following initial tests from City’s medical department and in Barcelona courtesy of the club’s trusted professional Dr. Ramon Cugat, Rodri went on to seek further opinion from medical staff in Madrid where he subsequently undertook an operation on an ACL and meniscus issue.

The absence in the centre of the park has left Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola with a dilemma in midfield, as to whether to recruit further in January or continue with the options he has at his disposal and will continue to test over the coming weeks.

Alongside potential targets in the Premier League and within the Italian top-flight, a new report has pointed towards a familiar name from the summer transfer window for those of a Liverpool persuasion.

According to the information of Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Manchester City are now considering a move to sign Real Sociedad’s midfield star Martin Zubimendi during the next January transfer window.

It is however pointed out that any deal will be difficult to pull off in the winter market given the price tag involved in negotiations, with the La Liga side set to demand a ‘significant fee’ to facilitate a departure.

Manchester City could also face competition from within the Premier League, with Football Insider indicating that Liverpool remain interested in a deep-lying midfielder and have been tipped to return with a new bid for the Spaniard.

Other than Zubimendi, Manchester City’s options for new names to enter the squad are relatively limited, with the January market most notably being a window that the Premier League champions aim to avoid doing business in for that reason.

Torino and Italy international, Samuele Ricci is another name that has been mentioned in recent days as holding interest from Manchester City, with the 23-year-old deemed as one of the most promising anchors in midfield across Europe.

For now, Manchester City will have to continue with their existing profiles, which will most likely be dominated by a combination of Mateo Kovacic, Rico Lewis, and Manuel Akanji interchanging within the role left by Rodri.