Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, has set his eye on getting Nigeria and Nottingham Forest defender, Ola Aina, to replace ageing Kyle Walker .
 
Walker, according to The Sun of England, has been under intense criticism of late for his sloppy display, which has contributed to the Cityzens’ indifferent run this 2024/25 season.
 
The Sun says Manchester City have penciled down Aina as a potential long-term replacement but are not unaware of the fact that the Nigerian will become a beautiful bride for top sides in England and elsewhere, especially Turkey where Victor Osimhen’s Galatasaray have been linked with the left wing back.
 
Aina has been one of Forest’s best players this season and started his 19th straight Premier League game on Sunday to help his to a 2-0 win at Everton and move second on the log.
   
The Nigerian, who made the Africa Cup of Nations team of the tournament early this year in Cote d’Ivoire, has scored twice for Forest in the Premier League this term.
 
Guardiola declared yesterday that Manchester City “need help” during the January transfer window after admitting his side have “no chance” of winning the Premier League title this season.
 
“We are far away from winning the Premier League,” Guardiola told BBC’s Match of the Day.
 
“We accept there’s already no chance of that but we have other things to fight for: FA Cup, top four… and winning games helps.”
 
City have won six of the last seven Premier League titles, but before the win over Leicester, the club had won just one of their previous 13 league games – losing nine.
   
Guardiola admitted he was relieved to end a five-game winless run.
 
“In some positions we need help,” Guardiola said.
     
Meanwhile, Atalanta director Tony D’Amico says the newly crowned Africa Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, and a few of their other top players will not be sold in January as the La Dea seek to push for their first Serie A title in their history .
   
Atalanta will go into the New Year top of the log, one point more than Napoli, and the club are confident of making a push for the Scudetto and that can only be done if they keep the squad that has given them a record 10-game winning run before it was halted on Saturday at Lazio.
   
Lookman, the club’s Europa League hat-trick hero tops the list of players linked with a January transfer with Premier League clubs reportedly leading the chase for the Nigerian.
   
D’Amico says the club has no intention of selling.
 
“Certainly, the January transfer window is a difficult one for all clubs. If there are any opportunities, we will go for them but obviously we shall be maintaining the full squad that we currently have at our disposal.”