Here are your Manchester City morning headlines for Tuesday, 8 September.
City could be forced to change transfer plans
With less than a fortnight to go until Manchester City play their first Premier League game of the season, travelling to Molineux to face Wolverhampton Wanderers, Pep Guardiola faces something of a defensive crisis.
After last season’s frustrations on the defensive front, City made their move at the very start of the transfer window to try and avoid a repeat of that happening, signing Nathan Ake from Bournemouth.
That move significantly strengthened Guardiola’s options. However, youngster Eric Garcia is refusing to put pen to paper on a new deal and Aymeric Laporte, City’s star centre-back, has now tested positive for coronavirus, meaning Guardiola is facing a defensive crisis in the days building up to the new season.
With that in mind, should City bite the bullet and make a formal offer for Kalidou Koulibaly ?
Former City man defends Foden after England exit
Former City winger Trevor Sinclair has leapt to the defence of midfielder Phil Foden after he was sent home from the England squad for breaking coronavirus rules.
After making his debut for the Three Lions in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Iceland, Foden - alongside Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood - was axed from Gareth Southgate’s squad after breaking England’s quarantine measures at their team hotel.
Though Sinclair has acknowledged the duo’s errors, he has backed Foden and Greenwood to learn from their mistake.
Sinclair took to Twitter and said: "Boys will be boys. Let's not destroy our own young players. Learn and be better, end of x.”
Neither Foden nor Greenwood have travelled to Denmark with the squad for tonight’s Uefa Nations League clash.
City 'see Gimenez bid knocked back'
City have seen an offer for Atletico Madrid centre-back Jose Gimenez rejected, reports in Italy claim, via the MEN .
Guardiola is desperate to add another centre-back to his ranks after the frustrations his side suffered on the defensive front last season, with the Catalan eager to avoid history repeating itself.
It’s claimed that City have seen a £62million offer knocked back for the Uruguayan international, who has also been attracting the attention of Chelsea this summer.
Napoli ace Koulibaly remains the Etihad Stadium club’s top defensive priority, but Gimenez, according to the report, is next on Guardiola’s wish list.
