Manchester City ‘keep close eye’ on January transfer window signing – Problem position ‘not ruled out’

Hugo Viana and Manchester City officials could yet address one particular position in Pep Guardiola’s squad during the forthcoming January transfer window.

The right-back position has been a persistent discussion point around the Etihad Stadium over the past year, with Pep Guardiola relying on a mixture of temporary fixes rather than a long-term solution.

João Cancelo and Kyle Walker’s permanent departures to the Saudi Pro League and Burnley respectively following temporary loan spells have opened up a vacancy in the squad’s position for a natural right-back.

During the summer, various names were linked, including Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries and Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento, and while there was even tentative reports concerning Rico Lewis as part of a potential player swap deal, the latter would go on to sign a new contract at the Etihad Stadium through to 2030.

Despite that extension, Manchester City’s seemingly coaching staff remain open to bringing in an additional right-back to ease the load on both Lewis and fellow right-back stand-in Matheus Nunes.

The growing emergence of Abdukodir Khusanov has added a new layer to the conversation after the Uzbekistan international impressed during a run of starts earlier this season, earning praise from Guardiola following his performances before suffering an untimely injury.

But according to the information of MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, the right-back position in the Manchester City squad is one area the club are said to be ‘keeping a close eye on’.

While reports earlier this week suggested that right-back investment may be put on hold until next summer, it is now said that City are not ruling out the possibility of moving in the winter market and right-back is somewhere they will strengthen – either in January or next summer.

On the subject of Abdukodir Khusanov, and the impressive performances of the Uzbek when called-upon in the position, Jack Gaughan writes, “Whether they act in January may depend on the continued development of Abdukodir Khusanov, whose performances before his injury last month were a real cause for positivity.

“Khusanov – who is expected back after the international break – has shown he is capable of becoming the solution in that position for this season at least.”

Much will now depend on how Abdukodir Khusanov performs upon his return to action and whether Manchester City believe he can sustain his early form across a demanding fixture schedule over the coming weeks and months.

City’s recruitment team are also known to plan multiple windows in advance, and that approach means that even if a move is delayed until next summer, groundwork for potential deals could already be well underway.

For now, Manchester City fans can expect the continued rotation between Lewis, Nunes, and Khusanov in the coming months, but with the January window approaching, the club’s evolving stance hints that movement in this key area of the pitch may not be too far away.