Manchester City Transfer News: Latest Rumours on Virgil van Dijk, Steven N'Zonzi

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has suggested a deal for Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk will be "impossible" to complete in the January transfer window.

The Netherlands star has been in commanding form at the back for the Saints this term and has been linked with a clutch of elite sides, including City. However, when quizzed about the prospect of a midseason swoop for the defender, Guardiola shut down the speculation.

"Will Van Dijk come here?" Guardiola said, per Alex Porter of the Manchester Evening News. "Next month here? He is not going to come here next month because it is impossible. He is a Southampton player and we don't want him now."

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According to a recent report from Sam Wallace of the Daily Telegraph, City and Everton are considering a possible move for the 25-year-old when the window opens, although Southampton are said to value Van Dijk at a whopping £60 million. If a team were to meet that figure, it would be a world-record sum for a defender.

As we can see here courtesy of this snap from Jose Fonte's Instagram account (h/t Bleacher Report UK) it seems as though the Saints squad are aware of the speculation too:

Given the manner in which Van Dijk has performed so far this season, you'd say the Saints are well within their rights to hold out for serious money for him.

The former Celtic man ticks every box for a modern centre-back. Physically he can mix it with the strongest centre-forwards, his reading of the game is exceptional and his calmness in possession allows his team to build attacks quickly.

For a Guardiola side he would be the perfect player to sit at the base of the team. Especially for this City team, who have found clean sheets difficult to come by this season and are in need of significant defensive surgery.

Juventus Trail in Steven N'Zonzi Race

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According to Fabrizio Romano of Calciomercato.com, Juventus are to be priced out of a move for Sevilla midfielder and reported Manchester City target Steven N'Zonzi.

In the report, it's noted Juventus want to bring in a central-midfield player in the January window and have logged their interest in the Frenchman. However, Sevilla reportedly won't budge from their asking price of €30 million (£25.5 million), which amounts to the release clause in N'Zonzi's contract.

It's suggested that could hand City an edge in the pursuit of the player, with Guardiola said to be keen to add a midfielder due to the injury suffered by Ilkay Gundogan. Here's what N'Zonzi could bring:

While he wouldn't be a direct stylistic replacement for the Germany international, the merits of landing N'Zonzi would be obvious.

After all, having enjoyed spells with Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City, the 28-year-old is accustomed to the robust demands of English football. Per Squawka Football, he's also savvy enough in possession to perform well at the Etihad Stadium:

Chelsea are also noted as admirers of N'Zonzi, with manager Antonio Conte said to be considering him as an alternative to Cesc Fabregas. As such, City may face some stiff competition to secure the Sevilla man.

However, having joined a club that is thriving in La Liga, still in the UEFA Champions League and handing him a starting role, N'Zonzi would surely be hesitant about a return to the Premier League. While he has developed brilliantly as a player in Andalusia, he would still face a major battle for minutes if he moved to City or Chelsea in January.