Manchester City are going through a phase and to me no matter the player that they bring in to help the team they will still not be as good as they were two seasons ago because the era has passed. The era of football is moving more towards the teams like Liverpool Arsenal and Chelsea, currently Manchester City's best chance is to ensure that they keep qualifying for the Champions League because from the very few games they've played this season and the amount of money they've invested into the clubs without any visible results, I do not think that they will be able to win the Premier League.
The problem Manchester City faces now is their flank, which I believe they can rectify to return to form. Their flank players aren't performing well because they're struggling to penetrate the opponent's defense and create scoring opportunities. Another problem Manchester City faces is in midfield, because despite the current midfielders performing well, the absence of Kevin De Bruyne is still being felt. This is likely why Erling Haaland is struggling to score goals, as De Bruyne has been crucial in setting him up for many of his goals. Even when Kevin De Bruyne was still at Manchester City, if he suffered a long-term injury, Haaland's scoring form used to low. And since Kevin De Bruyne left to Napoli, other midfielders haven't been able to match his level of performance.