Inside Manchester City’s January plans to save their season.

Manchester City is one of the clubs that needs to bolster its squad in the January transfer window, and the Citizens know that it is important that they take that step if they are serious about retaining the Premier League title or winning any trophy this term.

At the moment, things are not working for the Citizens, which has taken all of us by surprise because, over the last four seasons, no one has been able to stop City from dominating the Premier League.

Most people consider Pep Guardiola a managerial genius, a title he has earned by demonstrating his ability to be one of the best coaches in the game.

The former Barcelona gaffer has only missed out on winning the Premier League title once in the last six seasons.

Liverpool stopped his team from becoming champions in 2020, and the Reds look set to do the same in this campaign, but there is little doubt that Pep is a solid manager.

He always has a solution to the problems he faces, but the gaffer seems out of ideas in the last few weeks.

Following their loss to Liverpool, Manchester City has now failed to win in six consecutive games. Since his goals against Arsenal, Erling Haaland has scored just twice in over seven league games.

We thought this could be Pep Guardiola’s last season at the club, but he has penned an extension to his deal at the Etihad and will stay for at least one more season.

This was supposed to inspire his players to perform well, but that is not happening, and it is sad to see.

With their form continuing to get worse, the January transfer window would be an important time for the Citizens to freshen things up and get back to form in the second half of the season.

Fans who buy Manchester City tickets want to see some action from the club in the next transfer window and hope that the leaders are preparing to make moves. What exactly does Man City need to do in January?

Buy a new defender

One of the hardest things to understand is how the current Manchester City team is struggling on the pitch.

They have some of the world’s best players on paper, and they even adapted their style of play after signing some new wingers in the summer.

From the back to the forward spots, it seems like Manchester City is a team that does not lack anything, which is why we are stunned to see them in their current state.

However, City has to refresh almost every spot in their team, starting from the defence. They still have top names like Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker, but these players look tired and lack hunger.

They have won every trophy offered since joining the club and deserve a lot of credit for their performance over the years.

However, a new centre-back could solidify the defence not only because of their ability, but a new desire to succeed as a City player could spur others back to life.

The current group looks bored, and they are shipping in a ridiculous number of goals, so it makes no sense to stick with them until the end of the season.

Decide on the future of players with expiring contracts 

Off-field distractions are one of the main determinants of good and bad performances for clubs.

Despite still contemplating whether to give their key men new deals, Liverpool have been lucky because Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have continued to deliver top performances for the team.

That does not seem to be the case for Manchester City, with Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan’s expiring contracts continuing to be talked about.

Most of the conversation has been about whether it makes sense to hand them new deals, but this is a distraction that the club does not need.

City is in a tricky position because if they say they will not offer a new deal to both players, it could affect the team’s morale even further.

However, leaving that decision until the end of the term is also not doing them any favours and in January, signing a replacement for both stars would be a clear show of intention.

The new players could also revitalise their squad for the second half of the term as they prepare to end the season better than how they began it.

Fixed the weak spots

On paper, City's squad currently includes some of the best players in the world, which is why we are all wondering why they are struggling.

However, on the pitch, the Citizens are clearly struggling and that is because they currently have too many weak spots in their squad.

One clear example is their defence and a surprise culprit is Kyle Walker, who has suddenly become unreliable.

However, he remains the best right back in the squad because of his pace a power, two attributes that Rico Lewis does not have.

In January, City needs to buy a new right back who will make their team stronger and ensure teams do not target that spot as much as they do now.

In attack, it seems City is finally regretting their decision to sell Julian Alvarez in the summer because it is moments like this that the Argentinian always prove he is a top player.

The attacker is now thriving at Atletico Madrid, but his departure means City does not have an alternative to Erling Haaland.

If they had, they could have rested the Norwegian, who has been enduring his worst goal drought since joining them, but no one can replace him in the group now.

In January, City has to break the bank and sign an alternative striker to Haaland to lessen the burden and expectations being placed on the former Borussia Dortmund striker.

Manchester City has the players and manager to bounce back

City’s slump has been big news in the last few weeks because they are one of the top clubs in the Premier League. However, they would bounce back.

We have all been shocked because we expected too much from them, and they have been the team that has come closest to perfection in Premier League history.

However, there is still a long way to go before this season ends, and we expect City to arrest this slump soon and get back to form.