The January transfer market has officially begun, and Manchester City will be expected to do business as night follows day.

Pep Guardiola has batted down rumors of signing new players this month, arguing that the approaching returns of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland are more important than any new additions. But, with John Stones out again due to injury and Josko Gvardiol failing to live up to expectations, the Spaniard isn’t going to sit back and let rivals strengthen.

Guardiola has all but sealed the deal for one star, with his team currently only two points behind champions Liverpool. And now all eyes will be on him to see if he feels the need to add to his team. Mirror Football examines five prospective Premier League transfer targets for the champions….

Claudio Echeverri

Let’s start with the obvious: a deal for Argentina’s ‘next Lionel Messi’ is almost complete, barring a spectacular breakdown this week.

The 17-year-old has verbally agreed to a six-year contract with City, who will pay a price of £22 million before loaning him back to River Plate for a year. It’s obviously a long-term agreement, but City appears to have uncovered another gem after signing Julian Alvarez from the same club.

Jean-Clair Todibo

Given that Todibo is a top transfer target for both Manchester United and Tottenham, it would be classic City to swoop in at the eleventh hour.

With Stones sidelined for the foreseeable future, Todibo, 24, would be a great addition to Guardiola’s defensive options. He’s been Nice’s star performer this season, and if City were to swoop, the Treble champions would undoubtedly be a more appealing alternative than Erik ten Hag’s current shaky ship.

Noah Mbamba

After succeeding for Club Brugge at the junior level, Mbamba has played a key role in Bayer Leverkusen’s challenge for the Bundesliga title this season.

Mbamba is mobile, strong on both feet, and capable of bringing the ball out of the back as well as filling a deep-lying midfield role. With Jeremy Doku ruled out, the 18-year-old would provide not only short-term cover, but also long-term quality.

Pau Cubarsi

The Barcelona B kid reportedly turned down a potential summer move to City in order to stay at the Camp Nou.

The 16-year-old is claimed to be highly valued within the club’s junior academy as well as by manager Xavi Hernandez, but the Premier League team will not leave quietly. Cubarsi signed his first professional deal in July, but the triple winners have the money, not to mention almost certain silverware, to lure any adolescent.

Lucac Paqueta

When the West Ham player became the target of an FA betting investigation in the summer, City were hard on his tail.

The club quickly dropped out of the potential £80 million agreement, but did not rule out returning in January. The 25-year-old has since disputed the allegations, and the case is still ongoing, but City are reluctant to take the risk on the Brazilian unless they can negotiate a reduced fee.