Manchester City have made a promising start to the season, following some early concerns, and could now be set to make further progress in the January transfer window.
Manchester City gain ground on Liverpool in Premier League race
Pep Guardiola led his side to a convincing victory over Burnley last weekend and would’ve been delighted to hear that Liverpool lost ground in the Premier League title race after a surprise loss to Crystal Palace.
Of course, Arsenal’s last-gasp triumph at Newcastle United has left Mikel Arteta’s side only two points off the top, though the Citizens being five points off the summit is a scenario they would’ve taken after losing back-to-back matches against Brighton and Tottenham Hotspur earlier this term.
Furthering the positive feeling at the Etihad Stadium, Savinho is close to signing a contract extension at Manchester City, closing the curtain on uncertainty surrounding his future after Spurs attempted to bring him in during the summer window.
After a window of upheaval that saw several new arrivals and some key departures, Guardiola told NBC Sports after his side crushed Burnley that he was delighted with his squad’s ‘extraordinary’ solidarity after a statement win on home soil.
He stated: “I didn’t expect otherwise or differently (than to have to work hard to beat Burnley). Premier League is always tough, but since the Manchester United game our spirit is much, much better. We defend as a group, the solidarity is beyond extraordinary, and that is the path.”
After succumbing to Liverpool’s excellent season last term, Manchester City appear to be slowly putting together a run of results and will hope to strengthen in January to heighten the possibility of claiming another Premier League crown.
Now, they look to have set eyes on a potential new recruit who could be pivotal to achieving that mission if they can push a deal over the line.
Manchester City preparing Aleksandar Pavlovic bid
According to CaughtOffside, Manchester City are preparing a £43.5 million bid to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic, who is viewed as one of Europe’s brightest midfield talents. Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are also keen on the Germany international, and it is suggested that the Bundesliga holders could be open to sanctioning his exit once the January transfer window opens.
Labelled “very dominant” by Julian Nagelsmann, Pavlovic has scored once in six appearances across all competitions, and he has also made 13 recoveries on league duty, per Fotmob.
Similarities with Rodri have made him a potential successor to the Spaniard, who has had his fair share of injury issues to deal with over recent times.
Nevertheless, all focus now will be on whether Manchester City can convince Pavlovic that moving to the Etihad Stadium would be the best move for his career at 21 years of age.