Why Striker Is the Position Manchester City Must Strengthen in January Transfers

With apologies to American political strategist James Carville, Manchester City need goals, now.

City have not purchased a striker since the summer of 2013, when they bought two. One of them, Alvaro Negredo, burned hot, fast and then out. The other, Stevan Jovetic, sort of has yet to launch.

When you already have one of the best strikers in the world, which City do in Sergio Aguero, the temptation is to build around and behind that transcendental player. In recent transfer windows, City have done that faithfully.

Last summer, City spent most of their transfer kitty on centre-back Eliaquim Mangala. Their other three acquisitions were a defensive midfielder, a reserve right-back and a reserve goalkeeper. Fernando, Bacary Sagna and Willy Caballero were all sound buys, but none of them do much for City's offense.

City stood pat in the 2014 January transfer window. Financial Fair Play considerations probably had a lot to do with that. In the year since, City's bookkeepers have massaged the numbers up to but apparently not past the point of indecency. And it is believed that City can spend during the present transfer window if they wish to.

It may take the offloading of some dead weight (nice to have seen you, Matija Nastasic) to free up the capital necessary to buy a striker. But looking at City's roster, the forward line is the one area where City need the most help.

If you have been paying any attention at all to City lately, you know that they recently played a series of Premier League matches without a true striker. Midfielder James Milner characteristically ran his hind end off trying to fill the gap, but that sort of thing can only work in the short term against weaker opponents.

Jon Super/Associated Press

In the next two months, City have league matches against Arsenal and Chelsea and their heavily anticipated Champions League round-of-16 tie with Barcelona. Even with Aguero nearly back from injury, City cannot afford to pin all of their hopes on the oft-knackered Argentine's continued health.

Not surprisingly, City's ownership and management have apparently already identified this area of concern.

"Manchester City are in advanced discussions to sign Wilfried Bony from Swansea City in a deal worth around £25 million," reported Jamie Jackson in the Daily Mail very recently. "Manuel Pellegrini has moved due to having only three front-line strikers in Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic."

The exigency to buy Bony would be lessened if Dzeko was healthy, but he is not. In fact, it has been an injury-plagued season for the Bosnian forward.

"Dzeko hasn't featured since December 10, when Pellegrini's men won 2-0 at AS Roma to secure a place in the Champions League knockout stages," wrote Jeremy Cross in the Daily Star. "Dzeko started the game despite not being fit for what was only his second appearance following a previous calf problem that sidelined him for a month."

Buying a striker in January is also the right decision because City's roster is fairly well set in the midfield, on defense and at goalkeeper. Further, strikers are like pitchers in baseball or scorers in hockey—you can never really have enough of them.

Maybe it will be Bony, maybe it will be someone else. But City should not allow the January transfer window to close without picking up another striker.

Playing Barcelona or Chelsea with Milner at striker is just not an option.