Pellegrini not expecting big deals

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has downplayed reports linking the club with a January move for Swansea striker Wilfried Bony.

City have been short up front during December due to injuries to all three of their senior strikers; Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic.

That has led to speculation the club – who allowed another striker, Alvaro Negredo, to join Valencia in August – could seek reinforcements in the forwards department, with Bony a possible target.

But any move for the Ivory Coast international, who has scored eight goals this season, would be complicated by the fact City currently have no more room to register non-homegrown players in their squad.

Further changes to the squad would therefore be necessary and – with additional European Financial Fair Play restrictions in place – Pellegrini has indicated there is unlikely to be much movement.

The Chilean said: “I think that is just one of the 20 or 30 names I have read from the beginning of the season until today that we are (supposedly) interested in.

“I don’t think we are going to be too busy in this window. We have restrictions about the amount of money and about the number of players we can put in the Champions League, so I don’t think it will be a special transfer window for our team.

“We have the option to do it – we will see in the whole month of January what we are going to do about that – but it is not a major concern.”

Bony would also not be available immediately because, like international team-mate Yaya Toure, he is due to play in the African Nations Cup.

City are expecting to lose the services of midfielder Toure after their FA Cup third round tie with Sheffield Wednesday on January 4.

Pellegrini said: “Yaya must go on January 5. He can play this week – tomorrow and on Sunday.”

Toure is available again to face Sunderland on New Year’s Day after missing Sunday’s draw against Burnley.

Pellegrini suggested after the game that Toure had been carrying a slight injury but has since clarified the situation. He says Toure was merely being rested as a precaution after his involvement in the draining win at snow-swept West Brom on Boxing Day.

Pellegrini said: “Yaya is okay. Just last game I think it was a risk for him, he was not 100 per cent recovered but he doesn’t have any other problems.”

Captain Vincent Kompany, however, remains on the sidelines after hamstring and calf problems and is unlikely to face Sunderland or Wednesday.

Pellegrini said: “I don’t think Vincent will be fit this week. Maybe next week against Everton (on January 10), he will be available.”

The champions will also be without strikers Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko until later in January.

City beat Sunderland 4-1 away in December 3 but the Black Cats proved troublesome opponents last season and Pellegrini is expecting similar as they visit the Etihad Stadium for a quick Barclays Premier League return clash.

He said: “I think it will be a tough game again. It is a team that normally we don’t have good results against, when we play against Sunderland.

“Finally this year we won and we hope we will do it also at home. Last year it was one of the postponed games and then when we played it was in a difficult moment, we just drew.

“It is a good team with a good manager, Gustavo Poyet. They know exactly the way they want to play, they have strong players in aerial duels so they are a difficult team. But I hope this year we start the new year winning the three points.”

In other transfer business Pellegrini, speaking at his pre-match press conference, suggested that fringe players Matija Nastasic and Scott Sinclair could be allowed to leave.

He said: “They are two players that are in this moment in our squad. We will see what happens with them in the future but if they have another option that is good for them and good for the club, we will see what will happen.”