Managing Man City - Pep Guardiola's new masterstroke as £115m Man Utd transfer hijacked

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Manchester City are currently fifth in the Premier League as we head into the international break, having had a rocky start to the season. But Pep Guardiola's squad seems to have bounced back from their early struggles and now appear to be a force to be reckoned with.

City experienced back-to-back losses to Tottenham and Brighton at the beginning of this campaign, casting doubt on their ability to contend for the title. However, their luck has taken a dramatic turn. A 3-0 derby triumph against Manchester United was followed by a hard-fought 1-1 draw away at Arsenal .

Before the international break, the club managed to put themselves in fifth place in the top flight, just three points shy of the lead. The ever-dependable Erling Haaland continues to perform exceptionally well.

Mirror Football takes a look at the decisions the club will soon have to make, as well as potential arrivals and departures when January rolls around.

Brazilian winger Savinho only arrived at the Etihad last summer but found himself linked with a move away just 12 months later. Tottenham showed interest in the 21-year-old and a £67million price tag was placed on Savinho, reports the Manchester Evening News ..

However, the player chose to reject the London club in favour of staying in Manchester. He has since been rewarded with a two-year contract extension and his deal will run until 2031.

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Guardiola has played Savinho in the club's last two league matches, which ended in 5-1 and 1-0 victories. His absence during their slow start might not be a coincidence as their form seems to have improved with his increased playtime.

Savinho should continue to receive trust from the Spanish manager and play more frequently. However, City's attacking line can become quite crowded, with Jeremy Doku, Oscar Bobb, Phil Foden , Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush and Bernardo Silva all vying for a spot.

But Guardiola's ability to convince the Brazilian to stay over the summer, while overseeing his impressive development so far this season, could yet prove to be the City manager's next great masterstroke.

Club captain Silva is at a pivotal point in his City career. The Portuguese star has won everything there is to win in sky blue but his current contract expires next summer and he could potentially leave on a free transfer.

Speaking before City's Champions League match against his former team Monaco, Silva confessed he "knows what to do" when his contract ends and reports from Portugal suggest that could mean bidding farewell.

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Portuguese publication Record reports that Benfica have a contract ready for Silva to sign in January. As they are an overseas club, they would be able to sign the 31-year-old to a pre-contract agreement and he would then join them in the summer.

From City's perspective, Silva has been a valuable servant and remains the side's skipper, but the player has always reiterated that it would be a "goal" to play for his boyhood club. Whilst allowing him to depart for free is not ideal, City's frontline is already so deep and Silva has earned the right to go wherever his heart desires with the club's best wishes.

The influential Rodri could yet again find himself on the sidelines after he was substituted in the 1-0 victory against Brentford . It is believed he has suffered a hamstring injury.

This setback comes just months after he returned from an ACL injury that restricted him to just three league appearances last season. Rodri is often cited with making City tick and in his absence, Nico Gonzalez was purchased from Porto for £50m .

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Although he is young, he hasn't made too much of an impact and so with Ballon d'Or winner Rodri's injury struggles a concern and the Spaniard approaching 30 years of age, it could be time to plan for the future.

Carlos Baleba was targeted by rivals United this summer and the Brighton star has a £115m asking price. According to ESPN , City were also in the race to sign him and the club should pounce now before their adversaries do to shore up the base of their midfield for the foreseeable.

Baleba has been a revelation for the Seagulls and at just 21 he could star for years to come. He would provide the perfect cover for Rodri whilst acting as his eventual successor. The midfielder could soon become the first choice if City decide to cash in on Rodri, with Real Madrid reportedly showing interest in signing him next summer for a suggested £130m, according to the Daily Star .

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