Aymeric Laporte stands out as Manchester City's only substantial January signing to date but Riyad Mahrez nearly joined him.

The Algerian winger went on strike at Leicester in January 2019 to try and force through a move to the Etihad, only for the Foxes to hold firm and only sell up in the summer. Leicester were strong enough as a Premier League side to be able to resist City's advances at first, but they couldn't hold out forever.

It is what top clubs have done for years because they have been able to offer higher wages and a higher chance of trophies. Everybody loves unearthing a top talent from the middle of nowhere, yet sometimes when you want proven players to have an immediate impact the answer is right in front of you.

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City worked their way to the top with such shrewd signings as Gareth Barry and Joleon Lescott to complement the flashier buys, and have continued to do so since they started winning titles. Kyle Walker made an instant impact in 2017, Mahrez two years later and Jack Grealish was an important part of the Treble side in his second season at the club.

As the Blues face up to what looks like their biggest rebuild since 2017, there are plenty of players that catch the eye. For all the attention that Morgan Rogers or Cole Palmer get for being a former City star, most weeks at the minute there is an opposition player who looks like they would be worth City paying attention to for the summer transfer window even if not January.

Antoine Semenyo bullied the City midfield at Bournemouth, Dejan Kulusevski impressed in two Tottenham victories over them in December, before Rogers took the limelight at Villa Park before Christmas. At the weekend, while former target Lucas Paqueta was sloppier than he used to be in possession it was another positive display from Mohammed Kudus that left Josko Gvardiol wanting in defence.

It costs more to buy a Premier League player, and the £100m City paid for Grealish in 2021 has only currently returned in one season so there is more risk to the investment in the sense of needing the player to step up given the premium involved. However, Mahrez and others have shown that buying players from the same division can be the safest bet going; if they stand out when they play you, there's a good chance they can if they play for you.

All eyes are on Txiki Begiristain and Hugo Viana to see what the next version of City will look like, whether the rebuild gets properly going this month or at the end of the season. The solution could be closer to home than some may expect.