Manchester City - for the first time in a long time - look in major need of reinforcements.
Pep Guardiola has seen his team lose four games on the trot, while his own future beyond the end of this season is far from certain. City are missing a number of key players through injury, John Stones, Ruben Dias and Jack Grealish all currently on the shelf, while Kevin De Bruyne has only just returned.
Perhaps the biggest miss is newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner Rodri. The City machine has lapsed into malfunction without the midfielder, who is expected to miss the rest of the season. But the club are set to remedy his absence by signing a highly rated replacement in January.
Manchester City chasing Spanish international with January swoop plotted
City are believed to be planning a £50.3million January swoop for Real Socidead playmaker Martin Zubimendi, who they believe could fill the Rodri-shaped hole in midfield.
Zubimendi, 25, was part of the Spain squad that won the 2024 European Championship earlier this year and was courted by Liverpool in the summer transfer window.
Although a move to the Premier League still looks on the cards, Zubimendi is set to be wearing sky blue rather than red.
Reports are suggesting that City are ready to match the release clause in Zubimendi's contract, which runs until 2027, of £50m to bring the midfielder to the Etihad in January. After a summer that saw only saw Savinho and Ilkay Gundogan arrive as first-team signings, money is available to Guardiola should he feel reinforcements are required.
Speaking last month on his decision to stay at Sociedad and reject an approach from Liverpool, Zubimendi said: "My philosophy is to do what I feel at all times. So far, things have gone well for me.
"It is true that there was a lot of noise. I went through uncomfortable moments. The best thing for me was to stay here and I am happy and at peace. There is a lot of noise because of the press but in the end everything is easier than all that."
VIDEO: The only way Manchester City can survive without Rodri
Zubimendi has evolved into one of the brightest holding midfielders in Europe over recent seasons and has already partnered Rodri at international level.
The injury to City's vice-captain has left Guardiola short of options in the middle of the pitch, Mateo Kovacic having started as the sole defensive midfielder in both recent defeats on the south coast at Bournemouth and Brighton.
City are also believed to have monitored both Adam Wharton and Nicolo Barella with a January addition looking imperative, but Zubimendi is now their number one target.
In FourFourTwo's view, Zubimendi could bring back some control to the City midfield, but is far from a like-for-like replacement for Rodri. The Spainard's physicality and defensive nous is tough to replicate. He almost has a six sense for stopping the opposition on the transition.
Whilst Zubimendi is technically brilliant on the ball, it would be unfair to drop him into English football midway through a season and expect the same influence on the game as Rodri. At £50m, the deal still may prove good value for money for City.
