Ever since Rodri suffered a season-ending knee injury back in September, Manchester City have been linked with Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton as they seek to sign a suitable replacement as soon as possible. The need for them to do so is now glaring, following their fifth consecutive defeat in all competitions at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

And according to Teamtalk, the faltering Premier League champions are ready to make their move on that front in January, having already tied down manager Pep Guardiola for another year.

However, bringing the talented England international to the Etihad in January won’t be an easy task. Palace have no intention to sell at this point, having struggled through the season as well. They are apparently aware that they’re likely to lose the likes of Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi soon, but as for Wharton, he’s under contract until the summer of 2029, which puts the South London club in a very strong position to refuse any offers.