It is no secret that the bedrock of Manchester City's success in recent season has been the solid defence in front of Ederson.

With the resurgence of John Stones, as well as the addition of Rúben Dias from Benfica for a reported fee of £62 million, Manchester City's rearguard has become arguably the most important part of the squad. 

While Pep Guardiola's defence seemingly picks itself these days, there are still plenty of rumours mentioning the Etihad club in the same breath as some of Europe's most promising defenders. 

Most recently, RMC Sport has revealed that Manchester City are monitoring the situation of Monaco central defender Benoît Badiashile - who has been linked with a move away from the Stade Louis II this January. 

Along with the Premier League champions, Newcastle United and West Ham are said to be keeping tabs on the 20-year-old, who has made 12 appearances for the Ligue 1 side this season. 

Popular statistics website Transfermarkt indicates that Badiashile's market value sits at around £21 million, which is well within Manchester City's price range.

However, information in the report has pointed out that any move from Manchester City for Badiashile would be dependent on the departure of Nathan Aké from the Etihad Stadium.

At the moment however, no solid reports have suggested Nathan Aké will be leaving the club in January, or even the summer. 

Yet, to pour cold water on the rumour, in recent weeks the reports out of England have suggested that Manchester City will not be adding to their squad during the winter transfer window. 

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