It's been far from the ideal first half of the season for Manchester City, and it won't be a surprise to see Pep Guardiola's side attempt to make some signings in the January transfer window.

Manchester City have been well off the pace this term, with Guardiola's side going a crisis since the end of October. One win in 12 is their worst run of form since Guardiola joined the club, and the hope of retaining their Premier League title is all but over.

With Rodri out for the season and other injuries throughout the squad, City have found it extremely difficult to pick up points over the last few weeks, and a refresh in January may be what's needed. A new midfielder will likely be top of the list, while a striker to provide back-up to Erling Haaland would also be a welcome addition.

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So, if Man City were to dip into the transfer market next month, who could they sign? We simulated the 2025 January transfer window to find out.

Man City's 2025 January transfer window simulated

To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2024 editor to give Guardiola full control in the 2025 January transfer window, seeing who the Spaniard would want to add to his squad. This is what happened.

Incomings (61million including add-ons)

• Douglas Luiz (Juventus) - six-month loan with £54million option to buy

• Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen) - £51million (rising to £61million with add-ons)

Man City took their time when looking for a new midfielder in the simulation, with Guardiola's side showing interest in Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi, Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller, AC Milan's Tijjani Reijnders, and Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes. But, after failing with bids for the latter, Guardiola eventually settled on bringing Juventus' Douglas Luiz back to the Etihad Stadium, with the Brazilian signing on a six-month loan deal with a £54million option to buy.

Luiz has struggled since his move to Juventus in the summer, but is Premier League-proven with Aston Villa. Along with Luiz, City spent £51million on a new striker, with Bayer Leverkusen's Victor Boniface joining the club to offer competition for Haaland up front.

Outgoings (£680k)

• Josh Wilson-Esbrand (Watford) - six-month loan (£320k loan fee)

• Issa Kabore (Sunderland) - six-month loan (£260k loan fee)

• Jacob Wright (Hull City) - six-month loan (£100k loan fee)

With City's squad thin as it is, no permanent sales were made in the January window. Youngsters Josh Wilson-Esbrand, Issa Kabore, and Jacob Wright all departed on six-month loan moves to the Championship, joining Watford, Sunderland, and Hull City respectively.