Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is pondering a January move for Benfica midfielder Nemanja Matic.

The Daily Express says City are set to step up their interest in Matic in a bid to keep the Serbian out of the clutches of Premier League rivals Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Pellegrini said: "If we bring a new player here to City it is because he is a very good player. In this squad, we have a high level to all the players so if we want to improve we must try to buy an important player.

"That is why it is not our first concern and we are not in a hurry to make a decision. We are just seeing two or three things but nothing important."

With Javi Garcia seemingly surplus to requirements at the Etihad Stadium, Matic could prove to be the ideal replacement.