Manchester City are eyeing Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin and Valencia’s Jose Luis Gaya among other reinforcements for the full-back positions in a reported £100 million spending spree during the January transfer window.
Pep Guardiola hasn’t shied away from using the cheque book since his arrival at the club using Manchester City’s financial power to splurge money in excess of £150 million on summer recruits. And with his philosophies and transfers already settling in, the Spaniard has already sounded out a number of transfer targets for the full-back position to strengthen his side in that regard in January.
Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin has been a subject of intense transfer speculation all summer following his impressive performances in the past couple of seasons with the Gunners. FC Barcelona were among the many teams that expressed their interest to sign the youngster. In-fact, the Blaugranes at one point looked primed to lure the 21-year-old back to Nou Camp but the Gunners managed to hold on to their prized right-back. However having stayed put in the Premier League, the prospect of playing under Pep Guardiola as part of a City revolution in the English football and Europe could be too tempting an offer to refuse for the Spaniard.
City at the moment have the ageing duo of Bacary Sagna (33) and Pablo Zabaleta (31) to fill in at right-back. An injection of pace, stamina and defensive prowess that Bellerin brings to the game could be a much needed upgrade for Guardiola’s ambitious side. Since breaking into Arsenal’s first team in the 2014-15 season, Bellerin has proved to be a vital member of that Gunners back-line and has quickly established himself as one of the best right-backs in the league.
Another member from the Spanish contingent, Jose Gaya is also a Guardiola target with the Valencia left-back impressing the boss with his exploits in the La Liga during the 2015-16 campaign. At left-back, the Citizens are only left with the services of a injury-prone Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov. However the latter has been used off-late as a ball playing centre-half due to his passing and distribution which often leaves the Frenchman as the Blues’ only option in left-back. Gaya’s purchase will do well for City to address the deficiency in that area of the park.
The 21-year-old well and truly fits the bill and with the promise he has shown, he could well eclipse the likes of Clichy and Kolarov to the starting line-up if he can get acclimatized to the physicality of English football. Apart from Gaya and Bellerin, Guardiola is also pondering other options in full-back to add some much needed depth in that area of the park. The Spaniard has developed a penchant for grooming young prospects at his previous clubs and with a similar ideology underway at City, there is no denying the growth potential youngsters like Gaya and Bellerin have working under a coach of his calibre.
