Manchester City
Man City completing £25m deal for in-form Uruguayan star would be a brilliant investment
Why Man City signing Nicolas de la Cruz would be great for their future
According to Marca (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester City are preparing a £25million bid for River Plate’s Nicolas de La Cruz.
The report also confirms that City are monitoring his performance, as the Uruguayan has become a star in Argentina. De La Cruz was part of the squad that lost the Copa Libertadores final to Flamengo recently.
Despite their loss, De La Cruz has put in impressive performances for River Plate. Though he struggled for form in his first season after moving from Liverpool Montevideo to the Argentine club, the youngster has a consistent member of Marcello Gallardo’s side this season.
In 9 league games this term, De La Cruz has scored and assisted 4 times each for his team. The midfielder has been a strong force to reckon with from the start of this season.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have returned to winning ways in the Premier League after their disappointing 3-1 loss to Liverpool. They came from a goal behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 last weekend and are now placed 3rd in the standings.
This season, the Cityzens have not been as prolific as they were in their previous title-winning campaigns. Long-term injuries to their defensive unit have put them in trouble and that was exposed when they lost to minnows Norwich City earlier in the league.
In order to make amends with their inconsistency at the back, Pep Guardiola has turned to defensive midfielder Fernandinho to take charge at the backline along with John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi.
Despite having shortcomings in defence, it is a surprise that Guardiola has lined up to bring an attacking midfielder in January in the form of Nicolas de La Cruz.
This decision would pay off well because Guardiola has just two attacking midfielders at his disposal in David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne. The Spaniard is set to leave at the end of the season after his contract expires in June, and De Bruyne has been putting in the hard work day in and out.
Therefore, De La Cruz would be seen as a proper backup for the two veterans. The 22-year-old has garnered attention after a string of solid performances for the Argentine outfit and would bring with him some good quality to the Etihad stadium.
According to Whoscored, De La Cruz has registered 2.7 shots, 2.1 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per game in the Superliga this season. He has also enjoyed passing at an average 74.6% accuracy for River Plate.
Getting to train alongside the likes of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and other start players in City’s ranks would be a great chance for De La Cruz to learn from the best. And under the guidance of one of Europe’s best coaches, De La Cruz would surely go on to become a better player.
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Verdict
Moving to Manchester City would be a huge stride taken by De La Cruz in his development process and he can burst into the Premier League at the right time, given his age.
The Uruguayan can also be seen as a future prospect to guide City to many more trophies, making a name for himself in the process. He can be expected to carry on from where David Silva is set to leave. Therefore, he must be signed at the earliest.
Sam Coffey has officially joined Manchester City from Portland Thorns on a contract running through summer 2029. The WSL leaders will reportedly pay the Thorns a transfer fee of $875,000 with potential add-ons according to ESPN, securing one of the NWSL’s top midfielders.
Coffey said in an emotional goodbye video posted by the Thorns that playing in Europe has long been one of her goals. “For as long as I’ve kicked a ball, I’ve always dreamed of playing professional soccer in Europe, and it’s something I simply have to pursue. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t go try,” she said in a video filmed at Providence Park.
Thorns Lose Talisman and 2024 Captain
The move leaves Portland without their talisman and 2024 captain. During a turbulent season in terms of injuries and maternity leaves, Coffey started all but one match and was a stabilizing force in midfield. She was named to the league’s Best XI for the third time in four years.
Manchester City are chasing their first title in a decade and lead England’s Women’s Super League by six points over Chelsea after defeating Everton on the weekend to open the second half of the season. Coffey has never been on a side that finished top of table but was a rookie when the Thorns won the 2022 NWSL Championship.
Investment in Women’s Game Attracts Star
Coffey also gave a nod to Manchester City as a club that has recently increased investment in the women’s team. “I think it’s also a place that just has proven its investment in women’s soccer and being a part of this movement that is going on. Seeing the facilities, the support the team gets and all the efforts they are putting in for the women’s side is such a huge and positive side and something I’m honored to be a part of.”
Also read: Renee Slegers Signs New Arsenal Contract Until 2029 After Champions League Glory
Everton Women host Manchester City on Sunday as the WSL leaders return from the winter break with a six point advantage at the top of the table. Brian Sorensen’s side will be without several key players including Rion Ishikawa due to sickness and Hikaru Kitagawa who is being assessed after feeling her hamstring during training.
Elise Stenevik, Megan Finnigan and Lucy Hope remain unavailable while Katie Robinson has returned to Aston Villa after her loan spell ended, having made 12 appearances for the Toffees. Everton sit 10th in the table, five points above the relegation zone.
Kick-off: 12:00 GMT, Sunday, January 11, 2026
Venue: Joie Stadium, Manchester
TV: TBC
Sorensen Demands Defensive Discipline
The Everton boss knows his side face an uphill task against the league’s highest scorers. “They have a very good team and we have to put a performance in. We have the confidence to know that we can do it if we get it right. But, it is going to be extremely hard. We have to be right in the defensive department. We know how good they are. We need to focus on ourselves and make sure we get our things right.”
Manchester City have been relentless since their opening day defeat to Chelsea in September, establishing a commanding lead at the top. Khadija Shaw tops the scoring charts with support from Vivianne Miedema and Aoba Fujino providing goals throughout the season.
Recent Meetings Favor City
The clubs have already met twice this season with Andrée Jeglertz’s team winning both encounters. City won 3-1 in the League Cup at Joie Stadium in September before edging a competitive 2-1 victory at Goodison Park in November, despite Kelly Gago’s equalizer.
Predicted Lineups:
Everton (4-2-3-1): Ramsey; Vanhaevermaet, Wheeler, Payne, Boje Sørensen; Clare, Hayashi; Thomas, Gago, Bissell; Snoeijs
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Yamashita; Casparij, Rose, Knaak, Ouahabi; Hasegawa, Blindkilde Brown; Fujino, Miedema, Hemp; Shaw
Also read: Julie Blakstad Officially Joins Tottenham From Hammarby as Spurs Strengthen Backline
Vivianne Miedema has revealed she wants to extend her stay at Manchester City beyond this summer with contract talks currently underway. The Netherlands international joined the WSL leaders on a free transfer from Arsenal in summer 2024 and has been instrumental in their charge towards the title.
“Officially, I have a contract until the summer. We’re working hard to extend that. I’m sure it’ll work out. I’m happy at the club and I feel good about the direction the club is going,” Miedema told FCLeeuwinnen and AD.nl.
Thriving Under Andrée Jeglertz
The 29 year old striker has rediscovered her best form at City after injury troubles plagued her final years at Arsenal. She’s formed a lethal partnership with Bunny Shaw in attack, helping Andrée Jeglertz’s side build a six point lead at the top of the WSL table heading into the winter break.
Miedema scored her 100th WSL goal during City’s 6-1 demolition of Aston Villa in December, becoming only the second player to reach that milestone. Her performances have been crucial to City’s 13 match unbeaten run across all competitions since their opening day defeat to Chelsea.
City Keen to Secure Key Asset
Manchester City will be eager to tie down Miedema to a new deal given her importance to their title push. The striker’s contract situation means she could sign a pre contract with clubs outside England from this month if terms aren’t agreed.
City face a challenging run of fixtures when they return from the winter break, starting with West Ham in the League Cup quarter final before resuming their WSL campaign. Securing Miedema’s future would provide a significant boost as they look to end their four year trophy drought and claim their first WSL title since 2021.
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