Manchester City target Holger Badstuber stays in Germany, moves to Schalke 04 on loan

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola refused to rule out a move for Bayern Munich’s Holger Badstuber, but the German defender has accepted a loan move to Bundesliga side Schalke 04.

Although this news is not particularly heartbreaking, it is disappointing. A short-term deal for a player who could have added defensive depth and aided City’s back line woes immensely has slipped through the Catalan manager's fingers. It now appears that the Sky Blues will avoid splashing the cash on a defender until the summer, with Aymeric Laporte seemingly being Guardiola’s primary target after a failed pursuit of the Frenchman in the last window.

Pep’s side will have to rationalize a solution for their defensive mishaps with the players they currently have on their plate. Despite City’s manageable position in the title race, supporters should not expect to see the team lift the trophy at the end of the Premier League season. There is far more improvement to come as the new manager’s tactics will not be entirely established until the final stages of the season. His team still contains players that are not absolutely favorable for his ideas and he will have to go on quite a spending spree during the off season to resolve this matter.

An ideal summer transfer window for Pep Guardiola would include the likes of Danny Rose, Kyle Walker and Aymeric Laporte putting pen to paper, making Manchester City’s defense a brick wall.