Sporting CP to retain full focus of Hugo Viana beyond January ...

Manchester City will not see any involvement from Hugo Viana in their January transfer market activity, reports from Portugal have indicated.

The Portuguese officials reached an agreement with the Premier League champions earlier this year over a switch to the Etihad Stadium after it was confirmed that Txiki Begiristain would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

The 60-year-old has been widely credited as being an instrumental cog in the success of Manchester City throughout the last 12 seasons, securing a number of high-profile and blockbuster signings including Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Erling Haaland.

However, having eyed an exit five years ago, Begiristain will finally step away from his day-to-day duties working around Guardiola’s squad and handing over responsibilities to Sporting’s hugely successful and highly-regarded Viana.

In recent days and weeks, there has been conversation in some quarters over the possibility of Hugo Viana making the switch over to Manchester City earlier than confirmed, with some even targeting the upcoming January transfer window as a possible arrival date.

But according to the information of Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, Viana will not be turning his attentions towards City until February 2025 at the very earliest, heading up Sporting CP’s search for a new left-winger in the January market.

As translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City’s future sporting director will, until February, be more in Alvalade than in England, and after the upcoming January transfer window is completed, the 41-year-old will more in England than Alvalade.

It remains to be seen whether Hugo Viana and Txiki Begiristain are already formulating plans together for the upcoming summer transfer window, with 2025 viewed as a crucial year for Manchester City when it comes to a rebuild of Pep Guardiola’s squad.

January may also see the club enter the market for reinforcements, but the club have already denied any expectation of signing, or an intention to sign, either Newcastle United’s Bruno Guiamaraes or Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.

Manager Pep Guardiola has recently commented on the involvement of Txiki Begiristain during a year in which he will be stepping away from the club, as he told a recent media conference, “I think Txiki [Begiristain] is doing the same.

“[He’s] thinking what can we do if you have to do something in winter or summer. He will be involved in the transfer window; talking with the club, with Hugo [Viana] maybe, especially when he’ll finish his part in Lisboa.”