“It is also possible” – Journalist reveals potential Manchester City exit in January on one condition

Manchester City could be prepared to allow one first-team defensive option to leave in the coming January transfer window, should a suitable replacement be found.

The upcoming winter market is expected to be relatively quiet at the Etihad Stadium, with little in the way of first-team arrivals or departures ahead of the second-half of the ongoing campaign.

However, Manchester City transfer bosses remain attentive to the possibility of exits for members on the fringes of the first-team squad, while the arrival of emerging talents and prospects for the future remain options for officials.

Alongside a potential exit for Kalvin Phillips in the coming weeks, amid interest from Newcastle and Juventus, Sergio Gomez has now also been linked with an exit away from the club on one condition.

As per Sam Lee reporting for The Athletic, it has been revealed that Spanish full-back Sergio Gomez could be allowed to leave the Etihad Stadium in the coming weeks on the condition that a ‘suitable’ replacement is identified.

“It is also possible that left-back Sergio Gomez, who has played a similar role to (Kalvin) Phillips in the squad, could leave City this winter but only if a suitable replacement can be found,” Lee reports.

“Given Gomez’s relatively few minutes, that would mean either a young defender is brought through via the academy or from elsewhere. (Valentin) Barco, 19, would fit that bill but right now he is not considered a likely arrival.”

Manchester City had reportedly been strongly interested in signing Valentin Barco from Boca Juniors in the coming weeks, and had held a long-standing interest in the player alongside the likes of Juventus and Bright & Hove Albion.

However, supporters could be seeing the club turning their attentions to another rising Argentina starlet, with the club closing in on the services of River Plate’s Claudio Echeverri for a fee in excess of £17 million.