Welcome to the latest edition of the City Is Ours daily round-up, where we take a look at some of the Manchester City stories you might have missed.
Reports suggest that Pep Guardiola’s side have expressed their willingness to discuss a swap deal for a Barcelona star which would see defender Aymeric Laporte going the other way, days after it was reported Laporte would not be moving.
After his late heroics against Arsenal, Rodri's decision to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans has caused quite the stir in the footballing world.
And finally, with youngster Julian Alvarez being linked with a move to the red half of Manchester, quotes have resurfaced with the striker expressing his liking of the current Premier League champions and 2021/22 runaway leaders.
Laporte swap?
Aymeric Laporte has enjoyed a bit of a renaissance in recent months in John Stones' absence. The arrival of City favorite Ruben Dias and the emergence of John Stones saw Laporte's stock drop slightly last season but he has been in excellent form alongside Dias this season due to Stones' absence for fitness reasons and there had previously been reports suggesting City would not entertain any departure of the Spaniard.
But El Nacional (via Sports Mole) have reported City are open to discussing a swap deal with Spanish giants Barcelona for midfielder Frenkie de Jong which would potentially see Laporte moving in the opposite direction to Xavi Hernandez’s side.
The Spanish side have been linked with Laporte in the past and have already signed Ferran Torres from City in this window but that was a deal that will reportedly involve staggered payments due to the Spaniards' financial difficulties still being an issue. But if they were to include a player of De Jong’s calibre, that could change the landscape as a possible swap deal.
Our View: We all know how much Pep loves a midfielder but it would be difficult to leave City with fewer central defensive resources for the rest of a season where they are competing on three fronts. The beauty of having such a star-studded squad, however, means no player is off limits as we saw with the Torres deal. Although the likes of Torres and Laporte are clearly hugely talented individuals, you have the faith in Pep to more or less always make the right decision. The links to De Jong have increased recently so it will be interesting to see how this one plays out.
Rodri reaction
After his 93rd-minute winner at Arsenal on Saturday, Rodri was full of passion and understandably so. After coolly slotting away the late winner, in true Emmanuel Adebayor style, ran towards the Arsenal fans celebrating a matter of yards away from a rather angry section of the home supporters. While it sent the City faithful into bedlam, the heroics didn't go down so well with everyone.
On talkSPORT, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan and ex-Premier League player Danny Murphy were on two sides of the spectrum when discussing Rodri's celebration in front of the home fans.
“He (Rodri) has to learn how to control himself," Jordan said. "He needs to be a bit mindful because ultimately if something happened to him he would be the first person to say it’s outrageous. Celebrate your moment with the fans that count. It’s silly what he did."
It's safe to say Murphy disagreed. "You can’t have it both ways. That’s what football is and it always has been," said the former Liverpool player. "It’s shutting up the away fans or the home fans depending on what team you’re playing for. Celebrating a goal and staying on the pitch is not crossing a line."
Our view : Well, we may be having a different viewpoint if the shoe was on the other foot, but good on you Rodri! The passion is what makes football the best sport in the world. A last-minute winner down the park in a Sunday League affair would make you run around like a headless chicken, never mind at the Emirates against an in-form Arsenal side. If he hadn't celebrated wildly, chances are he would have come in for criticism in other quarters. You can't please them all. And as City fans, we don't care one iota what anyone else thinks.
United link admires the Premier League champions
Several reports have suggested young forward Julian Alvarez is set to join City's rivals United but, rather amusingly, some previous comments made by the striker about playing for City have resurfaced.
When expressing his desire to play in Europe a year ago, Alvarez showed recognition for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Speaking to Radio La Red, Alvarez stated: “Playing in Europe is most people's dream because of those leagues' quality and what it means to be at those clubs but I am taking it easy. Obviously, I talk to my agent and my family, but I know I have to stay focused on what I'm doing. Later the time will come, through the work I am doing.”
The youngster then went on to say: “On the Playstation I play with Barcelona or Manchester City.
If United do sign him there will always be those comments hanging over his head. He seems a top player and let’s face it, United could do with all the help they can get right now!
Our View: If United sign the talented Alvarez, you already know the excessive hype that will follow but the fact he's already confessed his admiration for City will be used as a stick to forever beat him with on the blue side of Manchester.
Who do you want City to sign in the January transfer window? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below
