Manchester City consider blockbuster attacking signing on January transfer window deadline day – Crystal Palace star considered | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City are considering a late swoop for a fresh attacking recruit on deadline day of the January transfer window, according to new reports.

With the January market drawing to a close, City’s recruitment strategy appears to be under review as Pep Guardiola assesses his squad for the decisive months ahead across multiple competitions.

While City have largely avoided reactive business in recent windows, circumstances this season and in 2025 have prompted internal discussions around depth and reliability in the final third.

Pep Guardiola and the club’s hierarchy have been conscious of fine margins at the top end of competitions, and whilst they continue to compete across multiple fronts and with fixture congestion biting, the emphasis has shifted towards ensuring sufficient attacking variation.

That context has been sharpened by recent performances, with Manchester City’s attacking output coming under closer examination following a dip in performances, and there is an acceptance that marginal gains in squad depth could prove decisive during the run-in.

Now, according to the information of Football Transfers’ Steve Kay, Manchester City are studying the possibility of signing Strasbourg attacker Joaquin Panichelli as a late addition to support Erling Haaland during the business end of the ongoing campaign.

Remarkably, the report also points out that City had been considering a deal for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who looked destined to move to Serie A giants AC Milan before failing a medical with the Italian club.

From the side of Pep Guardiola, the 55-year-old is said to harbour concerns about City’s lack of attacking threat and the sudden dip in Erling Haaland’s form, believing that competition is required in the No.9 role if his side are to compete for trophies.

As for Joaquin Panichelli, the Argentine forward has been one of the most impressive strikers in Ligue 1 so far this season, scoring a commendable 13 goals in 28 appearances for Strasbourg.

Any deadline day move would represent a notable shift from Manchester City’s usual calculated approach, particularly given the short-term nature of January deals.

Financial structure and long-term planning would all play a part in determining whether interest materialises into action, however any such deal appears unlikely given the matter of hours remaining in the English market.

Should Manchester City opt against a late move, the club may instead revisit the market in the summer, where longer-term attacking solutions could be explored with greater flexibility.