Devastated by injuries, Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini must turn to the January transfer window to bolster his side. According to the Daily Star (via Goal Transfer Talk), Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic is the Italian's first option.
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Per the reports, Pellegrini is ready to greenlight a £25 million bid.
Mandzukic moved to Madrid from Bayern Munich a mere five months ago. After falling out of favor with manager Pep Guardiola, the 28-year-old agreed to a £17 million deal with Los Colchoneros. Manager Diego Simeone shows no signs of allowing him to depart.
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"His enthusiasm and his ability have gelled with a team that plays in the same way," Simeone told a news conference (via UK Reuters). "At the start, maybe he found it a bit tough, but he has become more involved with each match and his relationship with his teammates is improving all the time."
"He has scored important goals, like the one in the Super Cup against Real Madrid, and his statistics are very positive for a forward," he added. "We hope he will continue to respond in the same way, and even get better."
Mandzukic boasts a club-best six goals in 2014 and has attempted more shots than any other player (30). His talents would be a welcomed addition in Manchester, but with Atletico chasing a repeat of their La Liga crown, the likelihood of a January transfer is inconceivable.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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