With Man City having agreed to allow Kalvin Phillips to move to West Ham for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign, they clearly have a need for a replacement.
That said, any player wanting to join the club isn’t likely to want to be sat on the sidelines as Phillips has been for long periods.
It is worth speculating on what the club would do in the event of a serious injury to Rodri, and it’s perhaps with that in mind that Pep Guardiola is apparently interested in acquiring Porto’s 22-year-old defensive midfielder, Alan Varela.
The Argentinian has been rated at €70m by Fichajes, though transfermarkt note his market value is as low as €14m.
The outlet note that the player joined Porto for just €9m in 2023, so if the former figure is likely to be more accurate should City be approaching a transfer, it would present a tidy profit for the Portuguese giants.
City face competition for Varela’s services from Premier League rivals, Liverpool, however.
Countryman, Alexis Mac Allister, could certainly espouse the virtues of playing for the Anfield based outfit, with Dave OCKOP noting the player’s words on how much he’s enjoying life under Jurgen Klopp.
“It was easy (to adapt) because the club and the manager made it easy,” Mac Allister said.
“Since the first moment, they showed a real desire for me. Sometimes in football, money is a big thing but it isn’t always the most important thing.”
Liverpool had previously shown an interest in Varela when he was plying his trade at Boca Juniors, and that longer-term interest may well tip the balance if the player is given a decision to make.