Manchester City eying sensational defender return: report

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola looks set to bolster his back line (Image credit: Getty Images)

Manchester City are reportedly set to bring back a former forgotten man as part of a defensive rebuild under Pep Guardiola.

The reigning champions of England have become experts in constantly maintaining their exceptional performance levels year on year by making frequent changes to the squad, keeping things fresh at a time when the schedule requires more from the players than ever before.

High-profile departures have been met with intelligent replacements over recent years, with Savinho's arrival to offset the sale of Riyad Mahrez just the latest example of this.

Manchester City set to move for Kyle Walker replacement

Kyle Walker

Kyle Walker is edging closer to a Manchester City exit (Image credit: Getty Images)

Guardiola faces yet another testing squad issue in the coming months as Kyle Walker's exit becomes increasingly likely next summer.

The 34-year-old, who came close to an Etihad exit in recent years, has seen his game time drop as Rico Lewis continues to assert himself at right-back, while his own performances suffer the unavoidable effects of ageing.

Pedro Porro of Tottenham Hotspur reacts during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at St James' Park on September 01, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

Pedro Porro has impressed since arriving at Tottenham (Image credit: George Wood/Getty Images)

As initially reported by Tottenham News earlier in the year, City hold a strong interest in Spurs right-back Pedro Porro, who departed the Etihad in 2022 without playing a single minute for the club.

The Spanish international looks set to become part of a defensive overhaul by the former treble winners, having previously registered interest in Inter Milan's Federico Dimarco, although Football Insider claims that any move for Porro would cost in excess of £80 million.

Porro has been a revelation in North London since his arrival from Sporting CP in January 2023, forming a fantastic understanding with Brennan Johnson down the right flank in the early knockings of this season so far.

The Spaniard had previously received interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid due to his impressive form under Ange Postecoglou.

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Porro initially joined City back in 2019 from Girona, spending a number of seasons on loan before joining Sporting on a permanent deal in 2022 without playing a single minute for the Cityzens.

His performances in Portugal and England since have seen him established as one of the best right backs in the world, with notable strength in both the attacking and defensive thirds of the pitch.

James Ridge is a freelance journalist based in the UK. He recently spent time with The United Stand as an online news editor and has covered the beautiful game from England’s eighth tier all the way to the Premier League.

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