Manchester City Transfer News: 10 Changes They Have to Make in January

They may be Premier League leaders, but if Manchester City want to do well in the UEFA Champions League and retain their FA Cup title, they need to make some changes in the January transfer window.

The Citizens have many shining lights in their star-studded squad, with players like Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli, David Silva, Samir Nasri, Vincent Kompany, Joe Hart, etc. all playing exceptionally well.

However, the Eastlands outfit also have a few cancer cells in the team that they need to be rid of by January if they are to stop the animosity spreading.

City could also do with strengthening the team in one or two areas lacking decent starting 11 competition.

Here are 10 changes Manchester City have to make in January.

Sell Carlos Tevez

Starting with the most obvious, Manchester City have to sell Carlos Tevez in January.

The Argentina international is like a virus in the club at the moment, giving them all kinds of negative publicity, and is partly distracting manager Roberto Mancini from the job at hand.

Since that infamous incident at Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League, Tevez hasn't played for City, hasn't trained with any teammates and hasn't given any competition to the three other strikers.

In essence, he is a colossal waste of money who is having no beneficial effect at the club currently.

If Manchester City are to meet UEFA's Financial Fair Play Regulations and keep the three main striker's from getting complacent (due to lack of competition for places), they need to sell Carlos Tevez in January.

Sign Ezequiel Lavezzi as Carlos Tevez Replacement

When Manchester City sell Carlos Tevez, they need to sign a replacement for the former Manchester United star.

A swap deal involving SSC Napoli striker Ezequiel Lavezzi has been touted, and whilst it's unlikely Tevez would move to Serie A, it would be a great move for Manchester City to get rid of Tevez and replace him with Lavezzi.

The Napoli forward isn't the goalscorer that Tevez is, but he's an all-round attacker who finishes off what the playmaker starts.

Lavezzi has created 21 direct goalscoring chances, at a rate of 2.6 per game, and considering Man City have many in-form finishers in Dzeko, Balotelli and Aguero, signing a striker who creates even more chances could well yield more goals than if a goalscoring Tevez was playing.

City need a new kind of striker that they currently don't have. Ezequiel Lavezzi could be the answer if the club can sell Tevez and use the money to sign the Napoli marksman. 

Sell Kolo Toure

Another player Manchester City need to get rid of is Kolo Toure.

The Ivory Coast veteran is currently at war with City, determined to fight the £600,000 fine levied against him following his drug ban.

He is another squad member who could be causing animosity within the group, and regardless, has fallen out of favour with Roberto Mancini, especially considering Joleon Lescott and Vincent Kompany have formed a great partnership in central defence.

And with Stefan Savic also showing good potential, it could be time to get rid of the unhappy, fourth-choice centre-back with a black mark against his name.

Sign Mehdi Benatia as Kolo Toure Replacement

When Manchester City sell Kolo Toure, they'll need to sign a new centre-back replacement.

And that player could be Udinese star Mehdi Benatia, who has attracted interest from City in the past and is currently on the radar of Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

The defender has made eight appearances in the league this season and has done very well, winning 3.1 tackles per match and making 7.4 effective clearances per game, both of which is more than any Manchester City player.

Benatia has admitted he'll leave the Serie A club soon but said it could be at the end of the season.

However, with football being such an idiosyncratic sport, if City come calling in January, a transfer to the Etihad Stadium could well happen for the Udinese centre-back, and should happen if Roberto Mancini's men want to progress this season.

Sign Lukasz Piszczek to Give Micah Richards Competition at Right-Back

For all the strength in depth Manchester City have, one of the main things they seem to be lacking is competition at right-back.

Micah Richards is the undisputed No. 1 at right-back slot for City, with the popular Pablo Zabaleta not really providing the competition a world-class team should have.

Therefore, it would be a good move for City if they can sign Borussia Dortmund defender Lukasz Piszczek, who has emerged as one of the best defensive wingmen in the Bundesliga.

This season he has been exceptionally good, winning three tackles per game and making 2.2 key interceptions, more than any City player.

The 26-year-old Poland international would provide exactly the type of competition and all-round squad strength Manchester City need if they are to establish themselves as a major European force this season.

Sign Costel Pantilimon Permanently

When Manchester City signed Costel Pantilimon from Politehnica Timisoara in the summer transfer window as a replacement for Shay Given, they only signed him on loan.

He has since proven his worth as an able deputy for Joe Hart, and to enhance his game, and that of Hart via competition for the No. 1 jersey, he should be given a permanent contract.

Whilst not as talented or experienced as Shay Given, the 24-year-old Romanian has done well in the two League Cup games he's played and deserves the chance to have a permanent crack at trying to obtain the No. 1 spot for City.

Sell All Loanees

Manchester City this season have been phenomenal, especially in the Premier League, with the team looking in total harmony on the pitch.

And this is without any of the loanees, including contract rebels Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz.

City are a better team without these players, who are seemingly content to keep their contracts with City and risk not playing football at the top level, as opposed to trying to improve their career's in the game.

To ease the wage bill, avoid any future animosity within the group and meet UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations, the moneymen at Manchester City should work hard to sell all of their loanees in January, including the likes of Vladimir Weiss and Dedryck Boyata, who have failed to live up to their potential so far.

Sell Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge

Content to not play football and pick up £4.7 million a year, or £90,000 a week, Wayne Bridge needs to be offloaded soon by Manchester City.

As does Nedum Onuoha, who also rakes in big wages, but with nothing to show for the investment.

Those two players, more than anyone else at the club, are a waste of space, especially Bridge, who is seemingly more interested in what he's doing on Saturday nights than Saturday afternoons. 

If City want to become a major worldwide force in football's financial market, they have to start becoming more efficient with their money, and that starts with culling the deadwood.

Sign Iker Muniain from Athletic Bilbao

Any Spanish talent comes at a premium nowadays, considering Spain are the current European and World Champions, whilst their U-21s are also the best of the best in Europe.

Another huge talent coming off Spain's production line is Athletic Bilbao midfielder Iker Muniain, the 18-year-old who has already made more than 100 appearances in professional football.

Already this season he's made 10 starts in La Liga, scoring two goals and making an assist. On top of that, he creates 1.6 direct goalscoring chances per match and successfully completes two dribbles per game, putting him up there with Eden Hazard and the best in the world.

He's a better dribbler than any Manchester City player at the moment and also has better ability than any City player at drawing fouls, winning 2.7 per game.

With Liverpool and Manchester United both linked with the star, as well as the seemingly mandatory interest that has to come from FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, the January transfer window could be the time to strike for City.

A player with colossal potential on the pitch, and an even bigger re-sale value (crucial for the Financial Fair Play Regulations), signing a talent like Muniain should be part of City's transfer policy.

Invest More in Youth

The average age of the Manchester City squad member is 25.5 years old.

If the club are to curb their spending and start turning losses into profits, they need to make long-term investments on the playing side by signing more talented youngsters as opposed to seasoned pros with no re-sale value who are making their last big-money move.

Iker Muniain from Athletic Bilbao is a must, while other huge young talents like Xherdan Shaqiri, Christian Eriksen, Mario Goetze, Eden Hazard and Alan Dzagoev should also be considered by City.

If they want to become one of the world's biggest clubs, both on and off the pitch, January could be the time to strike to invest in top young talent.