Scouting Manchester City Transfer Target John Stones

The urgent need to improve Manchester City’s defence simply cannot be ignored by Pep Guardiola.

The Spaniard won the 21st trophy of his managerial career on Saturday as Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund in a close DFB-Pokal final, leaving him free to concentrate on his new assignment at the Etihad Stadium.

He doesn’t officially take the reins until July 1—but given his apparent insatiable appetite for his work, he is likely to step up his planning and preparation immediately.

It will be abundantly clear to him having watched City this year that reinforcements at the back are badly needed. Their defence is creaking, damaged by injuries, ageing full-backs and inconsistent performers.

Bacary Sagna, a 33-year-old free transfer who barely featured the previous season, was perhaps their best defender in the campaign just passed.

Gael Clichy emerged as the star of the back four once his injury worries were behind him, but he, too, is in his 30s and has shown in previous seasons his form can waver badly.

But it’s at centre-back where City’s defensive vulnerability is most pronounced. Vincent Kompany’s susceptibility to calf injuries can no longer be ignored. Nor can the recklessness of Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi. City want to dominate domestically and be categorised alongside Europe’s elite. Their current crop of centre-backs won’t allow that.

That is why City are being heavily linked with new recruits. Aymeric Laporte remains a target, according to Daniel Taylor of …

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