Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will reportedly be backed by the club to pursue two of his top targets in the January transfer window.
Although the Catalan coach is keen to see a number of current first-team stars return from injury, he recently refused to rule out the possibility of the Citizens delving into the winter market to bolster his relatively small squad.
Amidst their well-documented poor run of form and fitness problems, the Citizens have been tipped to sign at least one new midfielder, as Ballon d'Or winner Rodri is ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
The addition of a new right-sided defender has also been mooted amidst the decline of 34-year-old Kyle Walker, while City only have one natural centre-forward in the form of Erling Haaland after selling Julian Alvarez last summer.
Recruiting a new midfielder is thought to be the Citizens' priority, though, and a number of players from across Europe have been linked with a big-money move to the Etihad Stadium.
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Man City to splash the cash in January?
Man City certainly have the finances to spend big on fresh faces, after the club issued their annual report earlier this month confirming a third consecutive year of record-breaking revenues, increasing to £715m with sustained profitability at £73.8m, while they turned over £139m in profit from player sales alone.
As a result, sources have told ESPN that Man City are ready to bolster Guardiola's squad in January and are prepared to back their manager to pursue midfield duo Martin Zubimendi and Bruno Guimaraes of Real Sociedad and Newcastle United respectively.
The report alludes to the fact that Man City are still awaiting the outcome of a Premier League hearing into the 115 financial charges levelled at the club - ones that the Citizens have emphatically denied - and the ongoing uncertainty over the possible sanctions could prevent new signings from making the move to the Etihad.
However, it is understood that Man City's significant transfer surplus will enable the club to move freely in the winter market to pursue Guardiola's desired targets.
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Could Zubimendi or Guimaraes join Man City in January?
It is claimed that Guardiola has a long-term interest in Zubimendi, while Guimaraes is another player admired by the Man City boss and has previously been pursued by the club.
Zubimendi is understood to possess a €60m (£49.6m) release clause in his Real Sociedad contract, which expires in June 2027, and the Spain international has attracted interest from several clubs including Real Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United.
The 25-year-old turned down the chance to join Liverpool last summer, but he is now believed to be open to a 2025 exit from boyhood club Real Sociedad, where he has made a total of 211 first-team appearances in all competitions.
As for Guimaraes, he had a £100m release clause in his Newcastle deal that expires last summer, and it is now understood that the Magpies are prepared to accept a slightly lower fee for the 27-year-old Brazilian.
Via The Athletic, journalist Chris Waugh said: "Newcastle would demand a significant fee for Guimaraes - probably not the £100m figure that was attached to the release clause he previously had in his deal, but potentially between £60m-£80m - and it would not be a straightforward deal for [Man City] to complete."
Guimaraes, who has established himself as an integral member of Eddie Howe's squad, recently acknowledged that he is admired by Guardiola, but he has played down suggestions that a move to the Etihad could be on the cards.
Oliver Thomas
