Alex Sandro would be the perfect option to add cover for Benjamin Mendy
According to the Manchester Evening News, Pep Guardiola has identified Juventus left-back Alex Sandro as a target as he looks to add more depth to his squad in January.
Guardiola has admitted that he is currently short of options at right-back and left-back positions and would like to bring in a reinforcement to bolster his options at the back. (h/t Manchester Evening News)
Benjamin Mendy has been in tremendous form this season but the Frenchman has had his fair share of troubles with injuries. Guardiola used Fabian Delph as a cover for Mendy when the Frenchman was sidelined and relied on Oleksandr Zinchenko to fill in the role following a subsequent injury to Delph.
The lack of a specialist back-up left-back came back to haunt the Citizens as Delph, who is a central midfielder by trade, had a nightmarish outing in the 2-1 defeat at the hands of Lyon in the Champions League. Zinchenko did not have a comfortable time either and is likely to be exposed against better quality opposition.
Lack of options at the left-back position is not the only headache for Guardiola as City do have much depth on the right-hand side of the backline either. Kyle Walker and Danilo both picked up an injury during the international break and John Stones, who is a specialist centre-back, had to operate as a right-back against Burnley and Shakhtar Donetsk. Walker has played a significant role in the Premier League but Danilo’s involvement has been limited to a single appearance in the League Cup.
As things stand, Manchester City might face a potential burn-out at the back due to an injury crisis as the season wears on. Suffice to say, they need to snap up a quality left-back when the transfer window reopens in January and there could hardly be a better choice than Juventus’s Alex Sandro.
Blessed with an excellent technique and a typical Brazilian essence to his style of play, Alex Sandro is a quick, powerful and offensive-minded left-back who is also a strong tackler and an efficient reader of the game at the back. The 27-year-old Brazilian has appreciable levels of concentration and looks very composed while going into tackles. Furthermore, he is very good with his positioning and does not allow the attackers to make runs behind him easily.
To go with his tackling and anticipation, which allows him to break up the play with crucial interceptions, Sandro is very comfortable on the ball and his passing in right up there with the best. In fact, he averages 61.4 passes per game with a success percentage of 86.8.
Sandro is an excellent crosser of the ball and contributes greatly to the attacking play in the other half. Also, he has a very good left foot which his capable of finding the net with powerful shots from the edge of the box. As a matter of fact, he can also operate as a left-sided midfielder if required.
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That said, City should not hesitate to splash the cash to prise him away from Turin in January. He is one of the best in the world and he won’t come cheap. However, he is still 27 and can prove to be an excellent long-term servant for the Citizens in the coming years.
