According to reports from The Express, Manchester City could revive their interest in Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci during the January transfer window.

What's the word?

After being strongly linked with the Italian centre-back during the summer, The Express claim Pep Guardiola is ready to go back in for Bouncci due to Vincent Kompany's injury problems. The Belgium international made his comeback - and his first competitive appearance under Guardiola - on Wednesday night. But he limped off with a hamstring problem in the dying embers of a 2-1 win over Swansea City in the League Cup - although it remains to be seen how serious the injury actually is.

The Express believe Kompany's latest scare is 'likely to lead to a renewed bid' for Bonucci, with Guardiola seemingly running out of patience with the City skipper.

Is he any good?

Will Bonucci be remembered as one of the all-time greats? It's possible yet unlikely. But amid an era in which truly world-class centre-backs are a worryingly rare breed, the Juventus man is one of the best options out there. He's been at the epicentre of the Old Lady's last five Serie A titles and was a key part of the team that reached the 2015 Champions League final, so his experience and ability is undoubted. Likewise, he boasts 63 caps for the Italian national team, including an outing in the EURO 2012 final. But perhaps most importantly of all, the 29-year-old combines leadership and organisation with ability on the ball - something every player in a Guardiola team fundamentally needs.

Isn't this just rumour mongering?

Perhaps. The Express aren't exactly reliable when it comes to such stories - in fact, they usually rip them off from the even less reliable Italian press before throwing five irrelevant Premier League clubs into the title for good measure. Similarly, some City fans will point to the fact Guardiola spent nearly £50million on John Stones during the summer; is he really going to invest heavily in another defender - especially one that turns 30 before the end of the season?

That being said, City were heavily linked with Bonucci during the summer, with some reports even claiming his agent travelled to Manchester to hold talks with the Etihad Stadium outfit and others alleging a £38million bid was rejected by the Italian giants. The stories largely stem from Guardiola describing Bouncci as one of his 'favourite-ever players' in February, following a Champions League clash between Juve and the Spaniard's former employers, Bayern Munich.

Is a January deal likely then?

We at FootballFanCast aren't exactly convinced. Even after signing Medhi Benatia during the summer, Juventus will be incredibly reluctant to lose a key player mid-season. That doesn't mean Man City won't try to sign him, but there was talk of a world-record transfer fee for a defender being required to nab him back in July. The Citizens have a lot of money, but they aren't crazy.

However, especially with Kompany injured, City are short at the heart of defence. Full-back Aleksandar Kolarov and defensive midfielder Fernando have already been drafted in to fill the void this season and should City's title charge begin to stutter, Guardiola may feel compelled to spend big on proven ability.