Manchester City dabble in the January transfer market only when they are desperate, or an unmissable opportunity presents itself.
With the current squad flying in the league, there is no air of desperation around the Etihad Stadium and the chances of a bargain who would challenge for a place in Pep Guardiola ’s stellar team are pretty remote.
As it stands, the club is not expecting to do any business at all next month, apart from the usual round of sorting out loans for youngsters who might benefit from more regular senior minutes.
Guardiola likes to have his squad under his nose in the summer, when he can drill any new signings as to what is required from a City player.
In his reign, the only significant January additions have been Gabriel Jesus in 2017 and Aymeric Laporte in 2018.
Jesus joined at the turn of the year because the bargain £27milion deal the Blues struck with Palmeiras allowed him to stay and see out their title-winning season, and also let him pick up an Olympic gold medal.
And Laporte was the only move that was an absolute necessity, with Vincent Kompany suffering with a persistent calf injury that saw him limp out of the Manchester derby the month prior and then last just 11 minutes at Newcastle in his comeback game a couple of weeks later.
With John Stones’ hamstring proving equally unreliable, City were reduced to Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala as their centre-back pairing, with young Tpsin Adarabiopy as the only back-up - it was clear something had to be done.
So they triggered Laporte’s £57million buy-out clause.
Since the 2009 window, when Nigel de Jong, Craig Bellamy, Wayne Bridge and Shay Given were added to consolidate the squad, only Adam Johnson, Edin Dzeko and Wilfried Bony have joined in January, with wildly different outcomes.
Despite the clear need for a striker that has hung over the squad all this season, since the abortive attempt to land Harry Kane, it is tough to argue that a side that has just thumped Leeds 7-0 to go four points clear at the top of the Premier League is desperate for a goalscorer.
The need for a goalscoring striker remains and will be City’s priority in 2022, but the chances of an opportunity presenting itself in January are slim indeed.
That would require Spurs chairman Daniel Levy to do a complete about-turn from his stubborn stance on Kane, when he refused to even discuss a deal, angry at the player’s clear declaration of intent, and the feeling he was being stampeded into selling.
For that to happen mid-season would be highly unlikely, even though Kane’s form has been affected by the disappointment of not getting a move he desperately wanted.
City will no doubt look again at a possible Kane deal, but in summer when the possibility of Erling Haaland being in the frame raises its head.
Haaland was a no-no in the summer. Borussia Dortmund had eased their financial concerns considerably by flogging Jadon Sancho to Manchester United, and made it plain that Haaland and Jude Bellingham were off limits.
But with Haaland's release clause expected to kick in next year, reportedly making him available for around £68million, the City-supporting Norway star becomes a highly attractive alternative to the Blues.
Again, Dortmund are unlikely to countenance a winter deal for their 21-year-old striker, who has a staggering return of 76 goals in 74 appearances and this season already has 19 in 15.
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The Bundesliga side are trying to chase down Bayern Munich at the top of the table and, after a Champions League exit, also have their eyes on the Europa League consolation prize.
City would drop everything and move if they got an inkling of a chance to sign either Kane or Haaland and add the final piece to their jigsaw, but with a fortnight to go before the window creaks open, there is absolutely no indication that they will.
There has been plenty of talk of the Blues dropping their sights and bringing in a striker a level down - with Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic the name that keeps cropping up, probably because he has a smart agent.
That is highly unlikely unless the Blues hierarchy undergo a drastic change of heart between now and next month. They need a proven striker who can step into Sergio Aguero’s legendary boots, not potential, so a move for Vlahovic, or any other second-level striker, is not on the cards right now.
With Ferran Torres expected back in the short term, their option of a straight central striker, rather than the false nine ploy that has been outrageously successful this season, is back.
Barcelona have been strongly linked with Torres, and Raheem Sterling, but the fact is that the Catalans are skint and City would not let either player go unless a seriously big offer was made.
With no players incoming, Guardiola is not about to countenance a weakening of his squad halfway through a promising season.
Other than a striker, the Blues have no pressing needs elsewhere.
Many fans were urging the pursuit of a conventional left-back in the summer, with Benjamin Mendy - even before his current suspension due to a rape prosecution - identified as a flop, and Aleks Zinchenko still being a midfielder asked to do a job, albeit one he had done very well.
Since then, Joao Cancelo has claimed the position and been one of City’s best players, and with Zinchenko seizing his recent chance with a couple of top-class displays, left-back is now a strong point of the squad rather than a weakness.
The only other area that is occupying the minds of Guardiola and football director Txiki Begiristain is holding midfielder, with Fernandinho likely to be in his final season.
Rodri has been superb this season, and Fernandinho is an excellent supplement or stand-in, but the Blues have a problem if the Spain international gets injured.
But with Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne able to take the role, it is an issue to be addressed in the summer.
By then, Romeo Lavia’s progress can be properly assessed.
The Belgium under-19 international is highly regarded at City and has been involved in Guardiola’s matchday squad several times, and also made his debut as a substitute in the 6-1 Carabao Cup win over Wycombe in September.
Lavia is earmarked for the first-team squad but next summer might be a year or two too early, especially in such a tough, important position in the team. So, unless Fernandinho continues to defy the advance of time and extend his career into its 38th year, that will be a position that needs addressing. But not in January.
