Wrapping Up the Latest Manchester City News and Gossip

The transfer window may only have ended on Monday evening, but the merry-go-round of rumour and speculation ahead of January’s has already begun.

Manchester City’s shortage of central defenders, which I discussed in detail earlier this week, has intensified speculation that they may make a move for a free agent. William Gallas, the former Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham player, is by far the most experienced defender available at no cost and has been linked with a move to the Etihad, according to Steven Green of Caught Offside. ESPN FC's Simon Green also mentioned the news, citing "reports."

City have to do something. Martin Demichelis was signed to ease what was already a precarious situation with injuries to Vincent Kompany and Micah Richards but he is now out for six weeks. Even when he returns from injury, getting him match-fit may take some time given he didn’t play a single preseason match during his two-month spell at Atletico Madrid.

Although Gallas’ powers are waning, evidenced by his less-than-convincing final season at Spurs, he offers experience of the Premier League. The season before last, Gallas performed admirably and could be just what City need in the very short term.

Another defender being linked with City is Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala who, if this report in The Star is to be believed, will be the subject of a £30 million bid from the Blues in January. City are thought to have made an offer late in the summer window, but Porto rejected it on the grounds that they had limited time to find a replacement.

Away from transfers: James Milner has been telling reporters about his willingness to force his way into Manuel Pellegrini’s starting XI. Milner is yet to start so far in the league despite an excellent preseason.

Milner told Goal.com:

"

I had a good pre-season but obviously we’ve made some very good signings at City. It's going to take time for the new players and the manager to settle in and get to know each other.

At the moment we've had one game a week but as soon as we get back we're pretty much playing two or three games a week until January.

I'm sure the team will get changed and when you get your chance, it's down to you to prove you should be in the team.

"

Milner’s fitness levels and all-round appetite for the game make him an important part of this City squad. Time and again he has found himself out of the first team, only to force his way back in with some excellent displays. It would be foolish to think he can’t do it again.

Finally, from the wacky world of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, comes an admission that City tried to sign him in 2011 when he left Barcelona. He eventually joined AC Milan but, as revealed in his autobiography (h/t Express), City were keen to lure him to Manchester.

He said:

"

City could surely become big within a few years. But I’d soon turn 29. I didn’t have time for long-term plans and money was never a big thing. I wanted to go to a club that could be good now and there was no club with a history like AC Milan.

"

Seeing Ibrahimovic in a sky blue shirt would have been a delight for City fans but it wasn’t to be. After a season in Milan in which he scored 33 times in all competitions, he left to join Paris Saint-Germain, becoming the most expensive footballer in accumulative transfer fees ever, overtaking former City striker Nicolas Anelka.

As a reward for reading this far, here's this week's Inside City, which takes a look inside Fernandinho's new house.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2013-14 season. Follow him on Twitter here @TypicalCity