Manchester City’s Premier League title belief sparks urgent January transfer window re-think | OneFootball

Recruitment bosses at the Etihad Stadium believe their proximity to the Premier League’s summit could warrant spending in the upcoming January transfer market.

Manchester City have emerged as potential title challengers this term despite being at a nascent stage of their transition under director of football Hugo Viana, who replaced long-serving executive Txiki Begiristain in the summer and orchestrated a major revamp of Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

Viana signed off on the exits of a range of senior stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker and Ederson as Manchester City pivoted away from their old guard and introduced seven new names to their ranks in a sliding doors window off the back of a dismal, trophyless 2024-25 campaign.

The Blues are within touching distance of Premier League leaders Arsenal as they enter the festive period of the campaign, though there remain doubts over whether Guardiola’s current crop of players is strong and deep enough to sustain a title challenge against Mikel Arteta’s high-flying men.

Manchester City are not expected to be nearly as active in the January 2026 transfer window as they were in the summer but Viana and co will no doubt be monitoring the market for openings that could bolster Guardiola’s squad to fuel the Blues’ ambitions of lifting a fifth Premier League title in six seasons in May.

A worrying over-reliance on Erling Haaland to score goals, injuries to key senior players in midfield as well as a leaky defence that has conceded far too many goals of late will all cause concern to Etihad Stadium bosses, who are pondering upon their strategy for the January 2026 transfer window.

According to the information of Flashscore’s Dean Jones, Manchester City believe the gap between themselves and Arsenal at the top of the Premier League is close enough to justify a recruitment push in January, with talks due to take place over whether to make a key signing.

While City are said to be ‘content’ with their current squad, it is reported that an additional attacker is one route under consideration at the Etihad Stadium, while a midfield reinforcement is also to be contemplated.

As previously reported elsewhere, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo is highlighted as a number to consider, with the 25-year-old Ghana international available for £65 million in January 2026 amid wide-ranging interest from clubs in England and abroad.

There are also concerns about Rodri’s availability, leading to internal admiration for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Atalanta’s Ederson, should Guardiola want to alleviate a growing sense of responsibility on the shoulders of the capable but still young Nico Gonzalez, who joined City from Porto in January.

The signing of another central midfielder would naturally spark intensified talk around the future of Bernardo Silva, whose contract expires at the end of the season, and the report indicates that a final decision on the Portuguese international’s future is expected in early 2026.

From the side of the Manchester City captain himself, the report claims that Bernardo Silva has shown an openness to leaving, amid ongoing links to a return to Benfica, with foreign clubs said to be preparing January offers.