Manchester City remain locked in a three-way title race alongside Chelsea and Liverpool, despite not signing a replacement for Sergio Aguero in the summer.
Questions were asked of City when they failed to sign Harry Kane in the summer, but their performances so far this season have shown that the need for a recognised centre-forward isn't as crucial as fans and media first feared.
One player that has been heavily linked with a move to the Etihad in January is Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, with the Serbian scoring having been in hot form for the Italian side this season.
The 21-year-old has been raising eyebrows across Europe with his impressive performances and goal tally this season and has recently refused to sign a new deal with Fiorentina, with City amongst the clubs in prime position to make a move for the striker should they see the need to do a deal.
City could be without Riyad Mahrez due to his involvement in AFCON throughout January and February, meaning a move for Vlahovic could be on the cards to boost City's title hopes and help them challenge on all fronts heading into the second half of the season.
So, if Vlahovic was to make a move to City in January, what sort of impact could he have on Pep Guardiola's side?
To find out, we simulated the rest of the season with Vlahovic in the City squad and this is what happened.
We 'signed' Dusan Vlahovic for Man City in January 2022
To set up this simulation, we used the Football Manager 2022 editor to arrange for Vlahovic to join City at the start of the upcoming January 2022 transfer window, using FM22 to run the simulation.
This is how Vlahovic's in-game profile looks on FM22.
At 6 foot 3 inches tall, Vlahovic has all the attributes needed to thrive in the Premier League and in a team like Man City.
The 21-year-old has brilliant strength, work rate and finishing, whilst also being relatively quick for a tall striker, meaning he is able to hold up play when required but also play on the shoulder for counter-attacks too.
Let's take a look at how Vlahovic performed throughout the second half of the 2021/22 season after signing for City in January 2022.
Vlahovic scored 17 goals and registered three assists in just 30 games for Guardiola's side, as he slotted straight into the Blues' attack after joining the club in January.
He finished as the top scorer for City in the Premier League, scoring 13 goals in 14 starts, which is an immense return considering he joined halfway through the season.
The Serbian also averaged a match rating of 7.44, the second-highest at the club, ahead of the likes of Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish and only bettered by Kevin De Bruyne.
Vlahovic's impressive performances in front of goal were not the only stand-out statistic, with the 21-year-old also recording a 74% tackle success rate and 86% pass completion rate across all competitions, suggesting he can link up play and regain possession high up the pitch.
At the end of the 2021/22 season, Football Manager 2022 put together an overall best City XI, based on performances, statistics and other metrics.
This is what City's best XI looked like at the end of the 2021/22 season as predicted by Football Manager 2022:
Full City best XI: (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko; Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Gundogan; Silva, Sterling, Vlahovic.
Vlahovic came straight into the City starting line-up after his move from Fiorentina as he featured in the best XI for the Blues in the 2021/22 season.
So, how did City perform in the league and cup competitions after signing Vlahovic in the January transfer window?
Man City's results from the 2021/22 simulation
City finished the 2021/22 season as Premier League champions, tallying 89 points, five points clear of Liverpool in second and with the best goal difference in the league of +45.
Compared to the 2020/21 season, City won one more game but had a worse goal difference by -6, despite the addition of Vlahovic into the attack.
So, how did City perform in the cup competitions?
City completed a historic treble-winning season as Vlahovic was vital in both the FA Cup final against Manchester United that City won in extra-time, and the Champions League final against Liverpool as City lifted their first Champions League title.
Overall, if Dusan Vlahovic were to sign for City in January, the Serbian striker could have a huge impact on the squad as he led Guardiola's side to a historic treble-winning season, with the 21-year-old putting in spectacular performances when it mattered most in both major cup finals, as well as being the top scorer in the Premier League for City.
Would you like to see Dusan Vlahovic sign for City? Let us know in the comments!
