Manchester City in right-back battle with Bayern Munich ahead of January transfer window | OneFootball

Bayern Munich and Manchester City could go head-to-head in the January transfer window for one of Europe’s hottest right-back talents, according to new reports.

City’s search for a long-term successor to Kyle Walker – who departed for Burnley following a six-month loan spell with AC Milan – continues to intensify as the 2026 January market approaches.

Pep Guardiola has relied on makeshift options this season, with Abdukodir Khusanov, Matheus Nunes, and Rico Lewis mostly deployed at right-back. While the Uzbek’s emergence has been encouraging and Nunes’ performances have warranted praise, City have remained adamant that reinforcement is required.

Their recruitment strategy has seen extensive scouting across various divisions, with links to Crystal Palace’s Daniel Muñoz and Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso. However, Feyenoord’s Givairo Read is a name that refuses to fade from Etihad Stadium conversations, having impressed scouts thanks to his athleticism, creativity, and tactical maturity.

According to the information of Fabrizio Romano, Bayern Munich are also interested in Feyenoord’s Read, with Sacha Boey potentially leaving the Allianz Arena in the January transfer window.

From the side of Manchester City, Etihad Stadium bosses are said to be scouting right-backs around Europe amid a desire to recruit in the role during the January market.

And it is now claimed that the aforementioned 19-year-old Dutchman has been added to the shortlist, with the teenager becoming a player Manchester City are following and tracking amongst a shortlist including several names.

Givairo Read’s development has been rapid and widely acknowledged after being signed by Feyenoord in 2023, making 47 appearances last season, registering four goals and 11 assists. He signed a new deal until 2029 earlier this year, but interest from elite clubs has only grown.

For Manchester City, Read represents the ideal profile in a young, technically gifted, suited to Guardiola’s positional demands, and versatile enough to invert into midfield or provide width in attacking phases.

However, Bayern Munich’s involvement complicates the equation, and with the Bundesliga champions possibly being in more urgent need of a January reinforcement, they could move faster than their City counterparts.

Either way, Givairo Read appears set to remain firmly on Manchester City’s radar well beyond January, with Etihad Stadium recruitment staff led by sporting director Hugo Viana seeing him as one of the continent’s most promising long-term right-back options.