Manchester City Transfer News: Holger Badstuber Latest, Steven N'Zonzi Rumours
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has dismissed speculation linking the club with a loan move for Bayern Munich’s Holger Badstuber, although it’s been reported a deal is close to being done.
After City hammered West Ham United 5-0 in the FA Cup on Friday night, Guardiola was asked about links to the centre-back, who is struggling for game time with the German champions. The Catalan insisted there’s still hope that injured club captain Vincent Kompany can return to help with defensive numbers.
"In that sense, no," he said when quizzed about a potential move for Badstuber, per Jonathan Smith of ESPN FC. "We have to speak with the club about what is the situation, because hopefully Vincent can help us, but Vincent in the last two years he was like this [with injuries]."
However, according to Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail, City are making progress on a deal to bring the German to the club, with Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti said to be happy to allow Badstuber to go out on loan to get minutes under his belt.
Per James Robson of the Manchester Evening News, Guardiola looks to have relaxed his stance in respect of January acquisitions:
The defence needs addressing. There are question marks over both John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi, while Kompany has suffered so frequently with injury problems it’s difficult to consider him for the future. Meanwhile, Aleksandar Kolarov is only a makeshift option at the back.
Badstuber has had his own issues with injuries, meaning he’s made just 14 starts in the Bundesliga over the last four seasons, none of which have come this term.
Consequently, this is deal seems to make sense for all parties. Badstuber would work under a manager he knows well and have the chance to get some crucial playing time, while City would have a short-term solution to a problem they’ll surely address with longevity in mind come the summer.
Juventus In for Steven N’Zonzi
According to L’Equipe (h/t Luke Gardener of the Daily Star), Juventus are ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea in the pursuit of Sevilla star Steven N’Zonzi.
The Frenchman is said to have a £25 million buyout clause in his contract and plenty of sides are said to be keen on matching that amount given his imperious form this term. Per Gardener, City and Chelsea have been touted as possible suitors, although Juve are said to have already held talks with the player.
While N’Zonzi didn’t shine particularly brightly during his time in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City, since his switch to La Liga in 2015, he’s been superb. Here’s a look at some of his best moments from this campaign:
Not only has N’Zonzi showcased the physicality that made him a capable midfielder in English football, but there are other areas of his game that have showed marked signs of progress. Per Squawka Football, he’s been excelling on the ball in the UEFA Champions League:
Juventus recently completed the signing of Tomas Rincon to add some depth to their midfield, and with the likes of Miralem Pjanic, Claudio Marchisio, Sami Khedira and Mario Lemina also on the books, manager Massimiliano Allegri is not short of depth in the middle of the park.
Given the serious injury suffered by Ilkay Gundogan, City arguably are. Someone like N’Zonzi, who has blossomed into an all-rounder in Andalusia and has experience of the Premier League, would be a welcome option in the middle of the park.
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