It's virtually impossible to predict what the January transfer window has in store for Premier League teams, but one thing is certain: Pep Guardiola wants new signings.
Manchester City's boss has already called to arms in the wake of the champions' alarming collapse in form, with their chances of an unprecedented fifth consecutive domestic crown already in tatters.
But the January transfer window is a notoriously difficult time to do business, especially for a team with City's ambitions. However, it seems likely that Guardiola and his colleagues will look to bring in some new faces in an attempt to kick-start their season.
City are said to have been monitoring as many as seven players ahead of the January window. Mirror Football takes a look at how they might line up if Guardiola gets the new recruits he so desperately craves…
Nothing is likely to change for City in terms of goal: Ederson may have been replaced by Stefan Ortega for a number of games recently, but it would be a big surprise if the club opted to bring another top-quality goalkeeper to the Etihad.
While it is unlikely that there will be any major changes in the goalkeeping department, City have struggled defensively. Guardiola has specifically identified central defense as an area where City need help, so a January move for Crystal Palace's impressive Marc Guehi would make a lot of sense.
The English star seems ready for a move to a top club with Liverpool lurking. But City are a different beast at best and the prospect of guaranteed major honors (although perhaps not this season) would certainly appeal to Guehi. He could fit well alongside Manuel Akanji, with Josko Gvardiol and Kyle Walker at wing-backs, as City wait for others to return from injury.
It doesn't take a genius to realize that City's power has diminished significantly since Rodri, this year's prestigious Ballon d'Or winner, was sidelined with a serious knee injury in September.
Signing a defensive midfielder is a must for the champions in January. Martin Zubimendi and Bruno Guimaraes are both targets, but it is accepted that neither is likely to be available in the winter window. This means that the city will have to adapt.
A deal for Joshua Kimmich should be easier for the champions as the Bayern Munich star is expected to run out of contract and leave on a free transfer. He would add some much-needed steel to City's engine room and be available at a bargain price. His arrival would give the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva the space to make things happen further.
With Julian Alvarez leaving this summer, the pressure is on Erling Haaland to score goals. He has struggled to reproduce the remarkable form he has shown since joining City in 2022, so a third signing further up the field makes sense, even if it is only a matter of time before Phil Foden rediscovers his form. Omar Marmoush has 18 goals to his name in a breakout campaign for Eintracht Frankfurt; City could steal a march on Liverpool by cementing their interest in the Egypt international in January, who is said to arrive in Manchester brimming with confidence.
Potential City line-up (4-3-3): Ederson; Walker, Guehi, Akanji, Gvardiol; Kimmich, Kovacic, Bernardo; Foden, Haaland, Marmoush.