Manchester City Transfer News and Rumours Tracker: Week of November 17

It seemed like a well-timed international break for Manuel Pellegrini and his Manchester City players. After a poor run of form, which saw them win just once in their last six games—including three defeats—the rest from club football offered an opportunity to refocus and regroup.

Their difficult spell has left them eight points behind Chelsea in the Premier League and facing Champions League elimination at the group stage, a situation which has intensified speculation they could enter the transfer market when the window reopens in January.

Here we gather together all of this week's speculation about comings and goings at the Etihad.

City Lining Up Juan Cuadrado

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Juan Cuadrado may have signed a new deal at Fiorentina recently, but according to Jamie Anderson writing in the Express, City are set to meet his buyout clause in January to bring him to the Etihad. 

Manchester United are also thought to be interested in the winger, but City want to challenge them for his signature and are set to make a £28 million offer.

City and Chelsea in Tug of War for Koke

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According to Jamie Anderson in the Daily Express, City are set to go toe-to-toe with Chelsea in a battle to sign Koke from Atletico Madrid.

The 22-year-old is said to have a £48 million release clause in his contract, meaning the Premier League pair could in theory bypass a traditional bid. 

Croatian Teenager Interesting City?

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The Daily Mirror's Tom Hopkinson is reporting that Bayer Leverkusen's Marc Brasnic could be a target for City in the January transfer period.

Arsenal are also interested in the 18-year-old, whose current deal expires in the summer. Leverkusen may decide to accept a £1.5 million offer now, rather than risk losing him for nothing six months later. 

Inter Eye Nastasic

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Roberto Mancini's return to former club Inter Milan has led to a flurry of speculation he could try to sign some of his old City players, including a report in Football Italia claiming a loan deal for Matija Nastasic is likely to interest the Italian manager.

Nastasic is out of favour at City but played superbly well under Mancini, and it would hardly be a surprise if the man who ended City's 35-year wait for a major trophy returned to his former club to try to sign the defender.