Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has now identified an “incredible” midfielder as one of his main targets in central midfield.
Guardiola looking to sign new midfielder with Gonzalez struggling
Nico Gonzalez is yet to establish himself as a key first-team player for Man City, often being limited to appearances as a substitute in the Premier League so far this season, and the midfielder has received criticism for some of his performances.
City’s first major setback of the campaign came in the 2-0 defeat at home against Tottenham Hotspur back in August, and former Chelsea man Frank Lebouef claimed Gonzalez was at fault for the visitors’ second goal.
The commentator said: “Yes, Trafford made a mistake of giving the ball, but what about Nico [Gonzalez]?”
“Why did Nico ask for the ball? And you can see that again when he really asked for the ball, when he has two guys behind him and forces the goalkeeper to give him the ball.”
Since then, the Spaniard has continued to struggle, giving away the penalty in the 2-2 draw against AS Monaco in the Champions League, which was converted by Eric Dier in the 90th minute.
With fellow midfielder Rodri struggling on the injury front, Man City are now looking to strengthen their options in the middle of the park, according to a report from Spain, which claims Bayern Munich’s Aleksandar Pavlovic has been identified as one of Pep’s main targets.
The City manager is looking to revamp his midfield, and Pavlovic is described as his ‘favourite’ target, having put in some outstanding performances for Bayern, who are extremely reluctant to sanction a departure.
As such, a ‘significant offer’ will be required to prise the 21-year-old away from the German club, with it previously being revealed the Blues could be willing to shell out over £43m.
"Incredible" Pavlovic could be the "next Toni Kroos"
The central midfielder is held in very high regard by journalist Manuel Veth, who has suggested he could be capable of emulating a former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid star.
It is vital that any midfielder playing under Pep is an assured passer of the ball, and the Bayern star certainly ticks the box, having shown a remarkable ability to pick out his teammates over the past year.
Statistic
Average per 90 (past year)
Passes attempted
97.42 (99th percentile)
Pass completion %
92.6% (98th percentile)
Progressive passes
8.39 (95th percentile)
It is clear to see that Pavlovic could be the perfect signing for Man City, given that he shares similar traits to Rodri, who attempted 95 passes in just 60 minutes during the 2-0 win over Napoli, and the young German could be the ideal successor.