Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Yaya Toure and Holger Badstuber

Dimitri Seluk, the agent for Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, will reportedly begin the search for a new club for the player this month.

That's according to Simon Mullock of the Sunday Mirror, who has suggested Seluk will waste no time in 2017 trying to find potential suitors for Toure, who is said to have attracted interest from clubs in China and Italy.

The veteran's deal is set to expire at the end of the campaign, meaning Toure can now agree a pre-contract with foreign clubs. However, it's added that the midfielder has yet to totally give up on his City future, having recently been drafted back into the XI under manager Pep Guardiola.

While the 33-year-old has largely fared well during his recent appearances, during Saturday's 1-0 loss to Liverpool he looked a little off the pace, per Andy Kelly of the Liverpool Echo:

Guardiola's sides are typically packed with dynamic midfielders who can move the ball quickly and press the opponents relentlessly. Toure can still ping a pass and beat a man when given time in possession, although he has struggled with his work off the ball for many years now.

Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images

The injury to Ilkay Gundogan has prompted Guardiola into using the veteran as of late, and he has shown he still has class in the twilight of his career. However, after another two transfer windows, expect this City side to look a lot different.

Toure has been a tremendous player for City and the driving force behind two Premier League title wins in recent years. However, he's now a footballer who needs to be accommodated in the first team, and it would be a big surprise if that is something the manager tolerated for too much longer.

City Linked with Holger Badstuber Move

Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images

According to Peter O’Rourke of ESPN FC, City are considering a move for Holger Badstuber to help bolster their defensive ranks in January.

"Guardiola knows all about Badstuber from his time in charge of Bayern and the centre-back could easily adapt to Guardiola's preferred formation of playing three at the back," O'Rourke noted.

With Vincent Kompany sidelined with injury, John Stones adapting to life at a new club and Nicolas Otamendi yet to fully convince since moving from Valencia, City could benefit from another option at centre-back. Here’s a look at what Badstuber would potentially add to the team:

The 27-year-old possesses a lot of talent, although he has struggled badly with fitness issues in recent seasons. He missed almost two years with a cruciate ligament injury picked up in 2012; since returning in September 2014, he has suffered with another five injury problems, per Transfermarkt.

As noted by OptaFranz, Badstuber's start for Bayern in the UEFA Champions League against FC Rostov earlier this season was a long time coming:

With one very injury-prone defender on their books already in Kompany, City fans would surely have concerns about signing another defender who has had his share of fitness woes. Badstuber has only made one start all season, so whether he could string together a consistent run of matches at a high level is doubtful.

The defensive structure of this City side is in need of some major surgery in the next couple of windows, and while deals can be difficult to sort in January, a proven and reliable option is needed at the back if they're to mount a serious challenge for the title.