Manchester City are in the market for another striker, admits Pellegrini

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini admits the club are looking to sign a centre-forward this month. Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has admitted that the Premier League champions are in the market for a striker this month, but stopped short of confirming whether that player was Swansea City’s Wilfried Bony.

It has been confirmed that City are in talks with Swansea over a deal for 26-year-old Bony, although the two clubs are yet to agree on the final fee, with the Welsh club holding out for £30 million (Dhs 166.62m), some £5m (Dhs 27.7m) more than City are keen to pay.

Indeed, Bony, who was the top Premier League scorer in 2014 with 20 goals, revealed ahead of his trip to Abu Dhabi to join the Ivory Coast squad, that he expected the move to be finalised “within a few days.”

Pellegrini was questioned on the proposed move during his press-conference for City’s trip to Everton, and while the Chilean admitted his club were looking at centre-forwards, he refused to name Bony.

“I will answer this question when I know more about that because I don’t talk about rumours,” Pellegrini said. “We are going to replace Alvaro Negredo because it was the decision that we took in the moment we sold him.

“We decided to see in December if we needed another striker. We need another striker so we are going to find which is the best player to bring in.”

Pellegrini also responded to rumours that he could be in line for the Barcelona job, but the 61-year-old insisted he was “very happy” at the Etihad Stadium.

“I have a contract for this year and next year,” he added.

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