According to Manchester Evening News, Manchester City have declined the chance to sign Edin Dzeko. The AS Roma forward was available in the ongoing January transfer window amid the financial crisis inflicted by the pandemic and the situation was made known to Man City. However, the Premier League giants opted against signing their former striker and are willing to see out the remainder of their campaign with the current squad.
Do Manchester City Need A New Striker?
Following a disappointing start to the campaign, they have gathered momentum of late. They are the most in-form team in the division at the moment and are leading the table.
However, the Sky Blues have appeared way too overreliant on the services of their creative players, as far as the productivity is concerned. Ilkay Gundogan has surprisingly emerged as their top goalscorer in the league this season with seven goals. Raheem Sterling follows closely with six.
Manchester City’s lack of productivity from their strikers primarily stems from injuries. Sergio Aguero, for one, has featured in only 260 minutes of football this campaign, failing to score a single goal. Gabriel Jesus, on the other hand, has netted only twice in 11 matches, notably suffering from a knock earlier in the campaign.
Therefore, Pep Guardiola could welcome the arrival of a new striker during the remainder of this ongoing January transfer window. But is Edin Dzeko necessarily the best option?
Should Manchester City Re-sign Dzeko?
Edin Dzeko has had tremendous success since joining AS Roma in 2015. The veteran forward has netted 114 goals in just 242 competitive appearances for the Giallorossi. He also has a healthy record of 50 goals in 130 Premier League matches, a chunk of which were substitute appearances. Hence, the forward is certainly a qualified option for Manchester City.
The 34-year-old could provide some much-needed cover for the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Aguero. It could have been particularly useful during the second half of the campaign when Guardiola will once again have to brace himself for a congested fixture list.
On a more important note, Dzeko can add another dimension to the Man City attack due to his tall 1.93m figure that makes him a target man. It could provide the Citizens with some tactical versatility, especially when dealing with clubs that defend in deep blocks. And with the forward’s contract expiring at the end of the season, Dzeko could indeed have been a viable target for Man City this January.
