Analyzing Manchester City’s January 2025 Transfer Window
It has been a harrowing few months for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side have grown accustomed to achieving unprecedented dominance, be that a treble and a first-ever Champions League trophy in 2023, or a record fourth-straight Premier League title in 2024, but today, they find themselves in a far more precarious position.
City have won just seven of their last 21 matches, losing 10 and drawing four, and they find themselves in fourth place in the Premier League table, 12 points off league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. What’s more, they narrowly snuck into the UEFA Champions League playoffs after pulling off a comeback 3-1 win vs. Club Brugge on the final day, finishing 22nd in the table.
Having won three of their last four, including a 6-0 thrashing of Ipswich, City fans are starting to feel a bit more optimistic of their team’s chances, and another reason for them to get excited is their transfer business. Today, we’re taking a look at City’s business over the January 2025 window.
You’d have to go all the way back to 2018 for the last time that City splurged the cash on a mid-season recruitment, signing Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Club for £57 million. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and it has prompted City to undergo a significant squad restructuring. In order to reinforce their backline, City have signed Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens for a fee of £40 million.
At 20 years of age, Khusanov has already become the first Uzbek player to play in the Premier League and Ligue 1. His blistering pace allows him to recover in time to defend counter-attacks, whilst he also has the attacking capabilities to drive forward with the ball and pick out teammates in dangerous areas. And whilst he only stands 6’1″, he never backs down from a duel and is always going full throttle to win the ball back, and his impressive reading of the game enables him to step up in time with a crucial intervention.
They’ve also acquired Brazilian center back Vítor Reis from Palmeiras. Despite only just turning 19, despite just having 22 senior appearances for the Verdão, City have invested £30 million to sign the teenage defender. He’s an aerially imposing defender who remains focused and well-positioned to anticipate danger and snuff out chances, a tenacious player who’s always ready to put his body on the line to prevent a would-be goal.
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However, City’s blockbuster signing of the January window came in the form of Omar Marmoush, who arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for £60 million plus add-ons. Marmoush, who will turn 26 years old in the coming days, isn’t a long-term investment like Khusanov or Reis, but instead someone who’s already proven his mettle in European football. He sits second in the Bundesliga for goals (15) and first in the Bundesliga for assists (9) alongside Florian Wirtz, and he leads the German top-flight for goal contributions.
He’s not just a goal machine; Marmoush’s low center of gravity enables him to make dynamic movements, drive through congested areas and carry the ball for long distances. He’s a technically gifted player who’s also direct, and who can slot in as a second striker, a winger, or a center forward. A hard-working striker who’s constantly looking to run his defender ragged and exploit them with his pace and technical finesse, Marmoush should be capable of lifting City’s attacking output.
Despite selling Julián Alvarez in the summer for £81 million, City decided to tighten their pursestrings and only sign two players: Brazilian winger Sávinho joined from City Football Group members Troyes for £30 million after excelling at City’s sister club Girona, whilst İlkay Gündoğan returned on a free transfer after a year-long sojourn at Barcelona.
All in all, there is a sense that City are making up for lost time. City had hoped that Oscar Bobb would fill Alvarez’s void in attack, only for the Norwegian to break his leg on the cusp of the 2024/25 season. This has caused them to be overly reliant on Erling Haaland for goals, but there’s a reason to believe that Marmoush can help shoulder the burden and chip in with some vital contributions in the final third.
“In the summer, the club thought about it and I said, ‘No, I don’t want to make any signings,'” stated Guardiola in a recent press conference. “Last season we didn’t do much, due to the exceptional quality of the team. I relied a lot on these guys and thought I could do it again. But after the injuries — wow — maybe we should have done it.”
City have struggled with injuries this season, with none more damaging than the season-ending ACL injury to Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Mateo Kovačić have also missed lengthy spells, leaving their midfield even more sparse, whilst their backline has also been devastated with veteran leaders like Rúben Dias, John Stones, Nathan Aké and Manuel Akanji struggling for fitness at times.
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It’s forced Guardiola into some desperate decisions, like starting teenager Jahmai Simpson-Pusey in central defense, or throwing Khusanov into the deep end. Despite not speaking English, despite only having a few training sessions under his belt, Khusanov was given the start vs. Chelsea and endured a nightmare start to proceedings, misplacing a handful of passes, picking up an early booking, and gift-wrapping the opening goal to Chelsea — City would nevertheless storm back to a 3-1 comeback win.
The exit of Kyle Walker to Milan has prompted Matheus Nunes to slot into the unnatural right back position, and with Juventus unwilling to sell Andrea Cambiaso to City in the January window, it seems he will have to continue playing outside his preferred midfield role. Other players like Éderson and Douglas Luiz have been linked as part of City’s proposed midfield makeover, but both look set to stay put at Atalanta and Juve, respectively.
City have also signed 18-year-old Sierra Leonean center back Juma Bah from Real Valladolid for €6 million, loaning him out to Lens to replace Khusanov, whilst they have acquired 18-year-old American left back Christian McFarlane from sister club New York City FC. As far as other business, they’ve sent Issa Kaboré — previously on loan at Benfica — to Werder Bremen on a temporary basis, whilst they’ve also loaned Josh Wilson-Esbrand to Stoke City.
There’s plenty of unfinished business ahead for the Cityzens and plenty of transfer objectives to pursue in the 2025 summer window, but for now, City will be hoping that their January signings will give them a desperately needed shot in the arm.
By: Zach Lowy / @ZachLowy
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / picture alliance