Man City transfer news: Pep Guardiola 'asks' to sign two defenders next year including ex-Liverpool player

The Catalan coach has entered his ninth season in charge of the Citizens and is currently working with a depleted squad amidst the club's growing injury crisis.

Over 11 first-team players have been sidelined with some form of injury so far this season, including defensive quartet Ruben Dias, John Stones, Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, who were all either left out or forced to withdraw from their respective national team squads this month.

All four players have featured regularly at centre-back when fit, while Josko Gvardiol, Kyle Walker and Rico Lewis have operated as full-backs under Guardiola.

With Man City still competing in three different competitions this season and Guardiola's squad lacking high-quality depth in all departments, the reigning Premier League champions have been tipped to delve into the January transfer market.

Guardiola eyeing up Van den Berg swoop?

Defensive reinforcements seem to be high on Guardiola's agenda, as Football Transfers reports that the Man City boss has an interest in signing Brentford's Sepp van den Berg.

The report adds that the 22-year-old has been on Guardiola's radar since his loan spell at Preston North End from Liverpool, with the defender said to have caught his eye during a pre-season friendly in 2021.

Van den Berg was unable to break into Liverpool's senior side and after a productive spell on loan at Mainz 05 last season, he was sold to Brentford last summer for around £20m.

The Dutchman has since started each of the Bees' last eight Premier League games, operating at right-back, centre-back and left-back.

Man City are claimed to have enquired about the availability of Van den Berg around the same time clubs in Germany expressed an interest in the versatile defender last summer, but Liverpool decided to accept Brentford's offer.

Could Frimpong return to Man City?

Van den Berg is not the only defender on Guardiola's wishlist, as it is also claimed that Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong is another player admired by the Man City manager.

Frimpong spent nine years in Man City's academy between 2010 and 2019 before joining Celtic, and he has since established himself as one of the best attack-minded full-backs in Europe with Leverkusen.

The 23-year-old contributed with 14 goals and 12 assists in 47 games as a right wing-back in a Leverkusen side that won the Bundesliga title and DFB-Pokal before reaching the Europa League final last season.

Frimpong could be viewed by Man City as a possible replacement for 34-year-old Kyle Walker, whose form has dipped over the last 18 months or so and has also struggled with fitness issues so far this season.

Meanwhile, Man City are also understood to be exploring the possibility of signing a new midfielder in January, with Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi and AC Milan's Tijjani Reijnders said to be among their targets.