Manchester City simply must sign an athletic midfielder or they risk their season falling apart | OneFootball

As Manchester City went down 4-2 to PSG at the Parc des Princes last night you could see a familiar frailty in Pep Guardiola’s side. City’s midfield was overrun by PSG’s younger and more athletic midfield. Joao Neves, in particular, dominated the midfield battle as his team picked up a crucial Champions League victory last night. But coming out of the game, Manchester City’s biggest transfer priority remains obvious to see. They must sign an athletic and technically gifted midfielder before the January transfer window closes. There is no other alternative.

During last night’s match Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne all struggled in midfield. They were simply overwhelmed by their young, fitter and more athletic opponents. Once PSG pulled a goal back to make it 2-1 through Ousmane Dembele you knew how the game would pan out. Come the final whistle it was no surprise that PSG had picked up a 4-2 win. Luis Enrique’s side fully deserved their win. There’s no denying that. But Manchester City’s need to sign another midfielder stood out like a sore thumb come the final whistle.

Manchester City cannot enter the second half of the season with the same midfield mix. It isn’t and hasn’t been sustainable for some time. What we saw last night wasn’t a new issue. It’s been City’s biggest issue since Rodri went down with an ACL injury. Now it simply must be addressed before the transfer window closes. If it isn’t Pep Guardiola’s side will have a battle on their hands to finish in the top four. That’s the reality of the situation they are facing.

Who Manchester City could move for remains to be seen. Whether it’s Douglas Luiz or Ederson from Atalanta, for example, they simply must sign a midfielder who fills the gaping hole in their lineup. If they have to break the bank to do it then so be it. That’s the situation they’re in and it must be addressed. They can’t soldier on without an athletic and technically gifted midfielder for the remainder of this season. If they do what we saw last night will be a common occurrence and it will cripple City’s 24/25 season.