Man City transfer latest with deal imminent after £33.5million capture as midfield hunt ramps up
Manchester City are today expected to announce the signing of young defender Vitor Reis who will become the second signing of the January transfer window.
The Blues confirmed the £33.5million arrival of Abdukodir Khusanov on Monday night and fellow centre back Reis will follow him into the Etihad. The defensive duo will join Pep Guardiola's squad for the second half of the season to bolster an area where City have suffered countless injuries.
Uzbekistan international Khusanov, 20, has joined the club on a four-and-a-half-year deal and speaking after his move to City was confirmed, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City, a club that I have enjoyed watching for a long time. This squad is full of the best players in the world, and I can’t wait to meet them and play alongside them."
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Reis' arrival will add further competition to the backline with both players also signed for the long-term given their respective ages. City are also in the final stages of concluding a £59m deal for Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush.
Txiki Begiristain has moved quickly to accelerate City's plans in the January window. The problems in the existing squad caused by an injury crisis this season forced the club to act quicker than they would have liked in a winter market where they do not enjoy operating, but they have been decisive to bring in at least three players.
More could follow as City weigh up the possibility of signing a midfielder, while Kyle Walker could secure a move to AC Milan this month. However, the Blues will be satisfied with the speed at which they have been able to bring in defensive reinforcements that are also counted as long-term prospects for the future.
City are weighing up whether to sign a midfielder in the January transfer window. City dismissed what would have been marquee signings of Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Zubimendi before the January window even opened, viewing the former too expensive for his age profile and the latter too similar to Rodri.
They remain interested in Atalanta's Ederson, but were resigned to the fact that the Italian club would not be willing to sell one of their star players in the middle of a campaign where they are riding high in Serie A and the Champions League.
Douglas Luiz, the Juventus midfielder who signed for City in 2017 but never played a game to them due to work permit frustrations, is an option for the short-term but the club would only be looking at that deal as a temporary one for the rest of this season. Other candidates are being lined up for a permanent move, but as with Ederson there is an acceptance that the January market is difficult to secure a top target in.
