Pep Guardiola handed keys to major Manchester City transfer fund for January window

Manchester City are reportedly ready to back Pep Guardiola heavily in the upcoming January transfer window in order to get the club over the line in the ongoing season.

The Premier League champions were relatively quiet in the recent summer transfer window when it came to arrivals into Pep Guardiola’s squad, having only financially invested in one new signing early in the market.

Savinho joined Manchester City from fellow City Football Group side ESTAC Troyes for an initial transfer fee understood to be £21 million, rising to a potential fee of around £33.6 million depending on add-ons.

Ilkay Gundogan became Manchester City’s second and final signing of the market in a shock opportunity towards the end of the window, with FC Barcelona forced into letting go of the Etihad Stadium’s legendary Treble-winning captain due to financial problems.

But with Manchester City competing on multiple fronts this season, and with the UEFA Champions League expanded through a revamped League Phase, the club may feel as though new signings may be necessary in the middle of the season.

According to the information of The Sun, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will be handed the keys to a £100 million war chest if he feels the need to strengthen his playing squad in the January transfer window.

Whilst both names are more likely to be targets in a summer window, the report states that Manchester City are keen on Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, whilst Jamal Musiala is another ‘dream target’.

Within their existing playing squad, the newspaper explains that the Premier League champions are also keen to advance contract extension talks with Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne before Christmas.

When it comes to January transfer window signings, Manchester City are often reluctant to invest in that period, previously believing that there is both a combined lack of time and very few market opportunities to invest correctly in their playing squad.

There have been several exceptions to the rule however, with the Premier League champions’ transfer bosses sometimes choosing to invest in emerging talents during the winter window, including the likes of River Plate’s Claudio Echeverri last January.

Aymeric Laporte is arguably Manchester City’s most notable January transfer window recruit, with the Spanish international joining the club from Athletic Bilbao in 2017 to claim a first Premier League title just a matter of weeks after first joining.