Bayern Munich defender closing in on Manchester City move - Report

Guys, it's happening. Manchester City will sign a new defender in January.

According to a report from the very reliable Kicker magazine in Germany, Bayern Munich center back Holger Badstuber is closing in on a loan deal to an English club. City are the only English club linked to Badstuber, so it's quite easy to figure out that Badstuber will go to Manchester.

Badstuber will be out of contract this summer, and would move to City on a six-month loan to try and revive his career. If he forges a successful level of performances during his short period at City, he could either earn a new contract at Bayern or sign for the Sky Blues or other team on a free transfer.

Pep Guardiola has repeatedly said he wants a center back or a full back, and Badstuber can play both positions. He was once regarded as the best young defender in Germany, but a number of serious knee and ankle injuries limited him to 28 appearances in the last four seasons. Pep and Badstuber worked together at Bayern, and the player managed to be at a pretty high level during his limited playing time with the Catalan coach.

If (and this is a BIG "if") the City medical staff manages to keep him healthy, Badstuber is still a great defender, and he could help a City defense who cannot keep clean sheets. Knowing Guardiola will give him great confidence to come in and show his worth, and IF he's healthy, he would be a marvelous addition to the second half of the season.