Pep Guardiola wants Manchester City to sign a holding midfielder and centre-back in the upcoming transfer window to help rejuvinate his side.
Goals from Savinho and Erling Haaland saw City end their five-match winless run with a 2-0 win over Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday.
The defending champions had won just one of their last nine league games before today but signed off the year with a victory to move into fifth and four points off the top four.
It has been a chastening couple of months for Guardiola’s side who have endured their worst run of form since the Spaniard took over at the Etihad back in 2016.
Injuries have played their part, most notably to Ballon d’Or winner Rodri who remains unlikely to play again for the rest of the season.
John Stones has played just twice in City’s last 13 matches, while his centre-back Ruben Dias has also missed the last three games.
There were positive signs on Sunday, with Kevin De Bruyne playing a full 90 minutes in the league for the first time since September, but Guardiola is under no illusions that his side will need additions when the transfer window reopens next week.
‘Kevin [de Bruyne] is back but we need more in the middle and the back four, we have struggled with full-backs and central defenders,’ the Spaniard told Sky Sports on Sunday.
‘In some positions we need help. The squad is good, the problem is we don’t have the squad and that makes everything difficult.
‘When we’re all together we’re the team we were but with important players out for weeks and months it’s so difficult.
‘I thought central defenders would be fit all season but we have struggled – holding midfield and central defenders we need help. The market is the market it’s not easy, it’s expensive so we will see what the club can do.’
Asked about his side’s performance more generally, Guardiola added: ‘We needed it. All of us. It was not the ideal performance but hopefully the victories will give our mood a better position.
‘It’s important to win, it was tight, second half. We didn’t have enough energy to sustain 90 minutes but hopefully in the new year we can bounce back a bit from a bad moment.’
Reports have linked City with a move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi who turned down the opportunity to join Liverpool this summer,
The club are also said to be keeping a keen eye on Barcelona midfielder Dani Olmo should the Catalan club be forced to release the Spaniard due to their ongoing financial issues.
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