Regardless of the nine clean sheets kept this season, there are those that feel Manchester City’s defensive frailties are painstakingly evident. Forget the fact that Roberto Mancini’s side have conceded a joint high of 19 goals this year, one major f**k up in the backline and all of a sudden they need to invest heavily in a new centre-back.
With it, speculation today suggests the Citizens have shown a key interest in Borussia Dortmund duo Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic, despite possessing Vincent Kompany, Madjid Nastasic and Joleon Lescott in the ranks, the latter of which is currently struggling to reclaim his place in the City starting XI.
Nevertheless, if the opportunity to secure the Schwarzgelben duo is a possibility, or at least one of, then it could be a wise choice to move for either or both. Mancini is believed favour the three man defensive partnership with two wing-backs pushing on and with the calm and composed Nastasic partnering the colossal Kompany in the defence, then there could well be a place for one or the other in the starting XI.
Either way, it will be interesting to see how this pans out. Both have directly contributed to two goals for Dortmund in the Bundesliga this season, showcasing their goal-getting capability. If Mancini does move for one, it would ultimately depend whether he is determined to secure a ball playing centre-back or a no nonsense one, with Hummels fitting the mould for the former, Subotic the latter.
Mats Hummels in action for Borussia Dortmund
Neven Subotic in action for Borussia Dortmund