Pep Guardiola in no rush to sign a new midfielder

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is not desperate to sign a new central midfielder when the transfer window reopens in the New Year.

The Catalan tactician was tipped to a sign a new midfielder during the summer after the departure of Yaya Toure, but the club could not fulfil his wish after failing to sign top target Jorginho, who later joined Chelsea.

Since then, the Mancunian giants have been linked with a number of top players from across different leagues but ESPN claims that the club may not seek to bolster the midfield midway through the season.

At present, Wolverhampton Wanderers' Ruben Neves and Ajax's Frenkie de Jong are said to be on Guardiola's radar but the Spaniard is aware that it will be difficult to prise away either player at the halfway stage of the campaign.

Moreover, the City boss is said to be reluctant to pay over the odds for any new recruit and this could prolong the wait for a new midfielder until the conclusion of the current season.

Fernandinho, Kevin de Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan are currently the central midfield options at disposal for City, though the likes of David Silva, John Stones and Oleksandr Zinchenko can slot into the department if required.