Manchester City Transfer Rumours: Atletico Madrid's Koke on the Radar?

Manchester City's season hasn't gotten off to the best of starts. A shaky run of form has seen them slip to third in the Premier League, last in their Champions League group and out of the League Cup. As such, it's only natural that the transfer carousel takes them for a ride.

Jamie Anderson of the Daily Express has thrown his hat into the ring, suggesting City are in for Atletico Madrid starlet Koke. The 22-year-old is enjoying a fine season in the Spanish capital, and Anderson suggests both City and Chelsea could activate the player's £48 million release clause.

That's a lofty fee, especially for a player as young as Koke, but he's shown the potential to justify such a price tag.

Despite his age, he already has 15 senior caps for Spain. He featured in two of his side's three World Cup matches, including a start, as the then-defending champions crashed out at the group stage. With a changing of the guard underway for La Roja, Koke looks to be a long-term fixture in the setup.

"

Challenge was never to "replace" Xavi-but to find 1 player who could instill both orchestration + pressing in the MF zone. Koke-doing both

— euler (@euleri) November 15, 2014"

"

Isco, Busquets & Koke in midfield def the future for Spain. Throw Iniesta in there and find a two-player solution up front.

— Cristian Nyari (@Cnyari) November 15, 2014"

So how would this player fit into the current City setup?

Normally, Koke is deployed as a left-sided midfielder. WhoScored.com has cited his crossing ability as one of his strongest attributes, which has contributed largely to his astonishing haul of 11 assists in 15 games across La Liga and Champions League play.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

He's not a full-on attacking midfielder like his compatriot David Silva, as he contributes regularly tracking back. His 2.6 tackles per game, per WhoScored, ranks him highly among Atleti's regular players. In a way, he's not unlike James Milner but maybe with a little more flair.

Milner himself has been in solid form this season, making him a regular fixture in Manuel Pellegrini's side. Some of this has been borne from injuries to Silva and Samir Nasri, but he's regularly justified his continued inclusion.

However, Anderson noted in his report that Pellegrini might look to "galvanise [City's] stuttering squad, and the flair of Koke combined with David Silva could be just the remedy." That certainly sounds like an intriguing prospect, but it's tough to see that happening in Pellegrini's favored two-striker setup.

For starters, Silva's left-footed style would seem to plug that wide-left hole. Either could be moved inside should Pellegrini opt for a 4-2-3-1, with Nasri, Milner or Jesus Navas on the right. In a 4-4-2, having Koke and Silva as the wide midfielders together might not be the best option.

Largely, this is because Silva would be more inclined to play inside so as to favor his left side, limiting the width of the attack. Pablo Zabaleta adds some element of that, but it's not enough to make it a consistent threat.

In theory, Koke could play a deeper central role to allow for Silva out left and someone else opposite him, but the glut of central midfield talent might prevent this. Koke's defensive abilities might make him a decent partner for Yaya Toure, but it would be a waste of his attacking prowess.

Partnering the Spaniard with Fernando or Fernandinho would make for that good mix of bite and flair in the middle but leaving Toure out might not sit well with various parties involved. If only one striker is being used, again, this problem can be avoided.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

Realistically, while Koke is an undeniable rising star, any move for him before July doesn't seem plausible. City still have to worry about Financial Fair Play and various home-grown player regulations, plus he might not fit into the current team dynamic.

Additionally, if City are to make transfer moves in the near future, they have far more pressing areas to address. The inconsistencies in defense are troubling, with B/R's Rob Pollard singling out the left-back spot as one that needs immediate improvement.

On top of it all, will Atleti be willing to sell?

Just this summer, as they lost prized attacker Diego Costa to Chelsea, Koke extended his contract with the club until 2019. With Barcelona and Real Madrid still strong and Valencia growing under new owner Peter Lim, Atleti will be keen to hold on to him and stay competitive.

The Atleti-Chelsea connection—which has also involved Filipe Luis and Thibaut Courtois—may come into play in the end, however, with a hefty sum perhaps too much to turn down.

Should City pull the trigger on this move to beat out their rivals, it would be a bright move for the future. But with plenty of attacking talent in tow and more important needs to worry about, this might stick in the rumor mill.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Follow Alex Gruber on Twitter:

Follow @agruber6