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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is reportedly keen on signing Juventus centre-back Leonardo Bonucci as he looks to improve a defence which has kept just one clean sheet in their last 17 matches.

The Juventus and Italy defender, regarded as one of the best in the world, is believed to be among City's targets in the January transfer window after the need for defensive improvement became increasingly acute following Saturday's 4-2 defeat at Leicester City.

The Mirror report that Bonucci and Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte, who was linked with City strongly this summer, are amomng potential candidates for Guardiola to target.

Laporte is just 22 but has already made a huge impression in La Liga and the defender earned a call-up recently to France's senior squad.

However, with City more than aware that deals for such star players may be hard to complete mid-season, reports suggest they are targeting two Southampton players as back-up options.

Portuguese Euro 2016 winner Jose Fonte and lVirgil Van Dijk could represent more realistic options for City.

The 32-year-old Fonte was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United last summer but the deal failed to come to fruition and the experienced centre-back would add much-needed steel to the City backline.

Dutchman Van Dijk is viewed as one of the division's best defenders and has impressed in his displays for both club and country since signing for Southampton from Celtic in 2015.

Elsewhere, Celtic forward Moussa Dembele continues to be linked with a move to the Etihad.

The Daily Star report that Dembele is being chased by Liverpool and Arsenal too but that City have the advantage because of their loanee Patrick Roberts, who is currently at Brendan Rodgers' side.