With less than two weeks to go before the January transfer window opens, the rumour mill is working overtime, linking a host of players with moves to or away from Manchester City.

The defending Premier League champions are among the richest clubs in the world, and it would be a surprise not to see the Citizens complete at least two or three deals in January.

Whether those deals are for some of the players who are currently the subject of speculation remains to be seen, so let’s have a look at the latest rumours coming from the Etihad.

 

Wesley Sneijder‘s Annual Link to Manchester

Dutch international Wesley Sneijder is reportedly unhappy in Turkey and already involved in talks to move from Galatasaray to Manchester City, according to The Sun (h/t Daily Star‘s Nick Lustig).

The 30-year-old has been linked with a move to rivals Manchester United for the past several seasons, but the player’s agent is now reportedly talking to City to complete a transfer in January, for a fee well below his £12 million buyout clause.

The Dutch midfielder joined Galatasaray in January of last year, and with the Turks crashing out of Europe this campaign, it’s not inconceivable that he would want to leave for a new club.

A transfer to City appears unlikely, however. For starters, this is a rumour we see every year—it just happens to be the “other” part of Manchester that is being discussed right now, as shared by Jan Aage Fjortoft:

Sneijder is still a big name in world football, but the veteran midfielder is no longer the player he was three years ago. Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan told talkSPORT he believes Sneijder wants to leave, but he’s targeting a more realistic destination—Southampton:

I would not rule out Sneijder moving somewhere in the south where there is another Dutchman. Ronald Koeman could do with a player like Wesley Sneijder. He knows him, he has used him in the past. Don’t forget the agent who brought Koeman to Southampton happens to be the same agent to Wesley Sneijder.

Fernandinho and Yaya Toure have the central areas in Manuel Pellegrini‘s side locked down, and a healthy David Silva is the designated playmaker. Sneijder would join the club as little more than a bench player, and the Dutchman will likely be looking for a role as the star man if he leaves Turkey.

 

The Race for Ivan Rakitic

The Daily Express‘ Anthony Chapman believes Barcelona could be planning on moving summer signing Ivan Rakitic in January, after the Croatia international failed to make a big impression in his first few months at the club.

City and United are both ready to offer £20 million for the midfielder, who has started 11 of the club’s 15 La Liga fixtures so far, according to WhoScored.com.

There’s no denying Rakitic‘s first few months with the Blaugrana have been rough, but Bleacher Report’s Aleksandar Holiga believes many of his struggles have to do with Luis Enrique’s consistent changes to the club’s system and tactics:

Trying to find a remedy for this malaise surely was one of the reasons why Rakitic was bought—certainly not a better playmaker than Xavi was in his prime, but a more complete midfielder. If Barca persist on the midfield triangle and Dani Alves on the right, then they should probably persist in playing Rakitic and not Xavi as first choice, like they did at the start of the season.

The 26-year-old was always going to require time to adapt to Barcelona’s intricate way of playing the game, and as Xavi‘s replacement, it’s only a matter of time before the long-time club legend moves on and the spot in midfield becomes his, uncontested.

Barcelona will have no interest in giving up on one of their marquee signings of the summer after just half a season, and with the Catalans still facing a transfer ban, they have no way of replacing the Croat, either.

This transfer has about as much chance of happening as Sneijder‘s—little to none.

 

Matija Nastasic Rumours Gathering Pace

Italian newspaper Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia) believe new Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini has identified Matija Nastasic as his primary defensive target in January, opening the door for the Serbia international to return to the Peninsula.

The 21-year-old hasn’t seen the pitch since the Community Shield loss against Arsenal and is expected to leave the club in January, with a return to Serie A looking like the most realistic option.

At Fiorentina, he emerged as one of the world’s most promising young centre-backs, and as shared by StatsBomb’s Ted Knutson, he looked very impressive in his first season at the Etihad:

A series of injuries and the arrival of Manuel Pellegrini saw him tumble down the pecking order, however, and with the Chilean manager clearly not rating his young defender, Nastasic‘s time with the club appears all but over.

It’s a sad ending to what once looked like a perfect marriage, but the youngster is in need of a fresh start and will likely receive it come January.

 

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