Manchester City reportedly have their sights set on one of La Liga’s most promising young defenders, who they hope can help solve their ongoing crisis at the back.
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City’s poor season took yet another downward turn over the weekend as Pep Guardiola’s side were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa in the Premier League. The defeat was City’s sixth in their last eight in the top flight, and leaves them seventh in the Premier League table, 12 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
|
Premier League form table (Worst five teams) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wolves |
7 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
-3 |
7 |
|
Everton |
6 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
-1 |
6 |
|
Leicester |
7 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
-9 |
5 |
|
Man City |
8 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
-7 |
4 |
|
Southampton |
7 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
-12 |
4 |
Guardiola conceded after the defeat to Villa that his side, who have been champions for the past four seasons running, are now out of the race for the title.
“When you want to achieve something important, like win the Premier League, arrive in the latter stages of the Champions League, how you have to behave is this one concept: consistency. All this time we were incredibly consistent and now we are not,” said the Spaniard.
City want Valladolid starlet
One of City’s biggest problems in recent months has been their propensity to ship goals – which has in part been caused by injuries to a number of key defenders, including Nathan Ake, John Stones and Ruben Dias. Guardiola’s side have kept just three clean sheets all season in the Premier League, and just one in their last eight games.
They’ve also conceded 25 goals already, which is just one fewer than they conceded in the entirety of their 2021/22 title-winning campaign. Amid the crisis, the club are now reportedly eyeing a move for teenage central defender Juma Bah.
The 18-year-old is currently on-loan at La Liga side Real Vallodolid from AIK Freetong in his native Sierra Leone, and has impressed with his assured performances at the heart of the Blanquivioletas’ defence.
The Sun insider Alan Nixon has reported via his exclusive Patreon page that City want to purchase Bah next month, but loan him straight back to Vallodolid so he can continue to play regularly. Nixon claims that City would be willing to pay £12 million for 6 foot 5 defender, who is keen on a move to the Premier League despite there also being interest from Barcelona.
Bah, the first player ever from Sierra Leone to play in the Spanish top flight, has been praised by football analyst Chencho Alonso.
Commenting on Bah after he featured for Vallodolid B versus Langreo earlier this year, Chencho said, per Foot Boom: “He was commanding and pushing forward, showcasing solid defensive concepts in movement and marking adjustments. He is very calm on the ball and plays simply.
“The next day I said he would be called up in September for the first team, and on Saturday he was a starter.”
