Manchester City have been urged to bring one former Chelsea star back to the Premier League in January to give them the edge in their title race with Arsenal.
City ground out a hard-fought 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest to make it six league wins in a row and move temporarily top of the table on Saturday afternoon.
But Pep Guardiola’s side were back into second come the end of the weekend after Arsenal eked out a 2-1 home win over Brighton to restore their two-point advantage at the top of the table.
And while Aston Villa’s impressive run of form should see them considered as genuine contenders, it looks likely that Arsenal and City will be the two frontrunners for the league title for the third time in four seasons.
After a disappointing campaign and meek defence of their title last season, City have cut a rejuvinated figure after heavy spending last January and over the summer.
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The arrivals of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Tijjani Reijnders have bolstered City’s spine, while Phil Foden’s return to form as well as the signing of Rayan Cherki have helped fill the creative void left by the departing Kevin De Bruyne.
But with the return of the January transfer window imminent, City appear poised to head back into the market to strengthen Guardiola’s side once again.
A host of top clubs have tracked in-form Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, but it is City who appear set to win the race for the £65million-rated Ghanaian.
But former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker Dean Saunders believes the club is also in need of midfield reinforcement if they are to come out on top in their title race with Arsenal.
And the Welshman namechecked former Chelsea star N’Golo Kante as a player who City should look to bring back to the Premier League.
The 34-year-old is into his third season with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad but has just six months left on his bumper deal, which he signed in 2023 after leaving Stamford Bridge.
‘This could be the signing of the season,’ Saunders said talkSPORT about the possibility of Kante returning to the Premier League. ‘This is a big statement. I think Kante is available.
‘I think he’s been there long enough, I think he’s got to stay there to avoid paying tax for a certain amount. I think he’s available.
‘He could play for any team in the world. That position he plays in, defensive midfield, thinks like a defender, covers the ground.
‘What is he, 34? He should be still flying around the pitch, he wouldn’t have lost his pace yet. Great attitude.
‘He could play in the middle of midfield for Man City. One-year contract, sign him for a year, just in case his legs have gone. But you don’t have to run that much in that position.
‘He would fit into any team in the Premier League, right now. I mean, Arsenal don’t need him, I suppose – they’ve got Martin Zubimendi, they could play Declan Rice there if they have to.
‘But all the other teams in the league, I would sign him tomorrow. I think he’s probably the best since Claude Makelele, probably, playing in that position. And Rodri, obviously.’
Asked recently about his side’s plans for the January window, Guardiola hinted that City would not be anywhere near as active as they were 12 months ago when they spent over £170m on five new players.
‘Listen, last season what happened in the transfer window was for just one reason – we have (had) no players,’ the Spaniard said.
‘Old players and no players, old players and no players. And you have to, you know, for the next years, new vibes, new energy – that was the reason why. But I’m not a big, big, big, big fan for the (January) transfer window.
‘Always you have to be open, you never know what happens, and it’s possible that the club decides it’s good for now and for the next three, four, five, six years – why not?
‘But it’s better to, you know, at the end of the season to see what happened this season, how it was. It’s much better.’
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