Those new defenders can't come soon enough for Pep Guardiola. The transition is already underway and Guardiola and his bosses decide in unison that it cannot wait any longer.
Three new signings are close (unheard of in January for a club competing for the top spots in the Premier League) and Guardiola is offering clues as to who from the existing crop he is dragging along with him on the journey.
There is no Kyle Walker, the captain, with the traveling party and we all know why. No, Ederson, again. Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish on the bench, again. Ilkay Gundogan is still cold. They have started three league games as a team since the disaster against Manchester United four weeks ago.
These are not coincidences. Messages, signs. And there seemed to be life in those they trusted, but City squandered a two-goal lead in London, Christian Norgaard heading past Stefan Ortega in the second minute of stoppage time.
Two silly Brentford goals in the last eight minutes. The goalkeeper limped in the second, the defenders could not see Yoane Wissa's first.
In Germany, Omar Marmoush was lining up for Eintracht Frankfurt at exactly the same time as City started the game and then scored.
Christian Norgaard scored a header in the 92nd minute and gave his team a great point against City.
Phil Foden scored twice after a hat-trick in the same game last season, but it wasn't enough.
Pep Guardiola and his bosses have decided in unison that the transition cannot wait any longer
Txiki Begiristain continues to negotiate with his counterpart Markus Krosche on finances. Sources indicated earlier this week that talks have been generally positive, with Frankfurt hoping to recover around £67m.
Watching Matheus Nunes advance from right-back, cleanly with almost too much time on his hands, and then falter to such an extent that Brentford took possession inside their own area suggested City are right to look for more killer instinct.
The man who owns the majority, Erling Haaland, was unable to stretch far enough to fire De Bruyne's exquisite left-footed cross, which made its way agonizingly out of Mark Flekken's reach.
City know they need more firepower to help Haaland, although the Norwegian then exasperated Guardiola when he received a pass from De Bruyne too early.
De Bruyne then nearly cleared the stands when trying to send in a loose ball. Things could be better in that department.
But they are also fully aware that, although scoring goals has not been as easy this year, defensive reinforcements are much more essential.
Their back four were nervous, not knowing when to face a Thomas Frank system that deals its fair share of blows in this stadium.
Josko Gvardiol drove all the way back to Kew Bridge to allow Bryan Mbeumo to force Ortega to bow. Manuel Akanji watched Wissa's wobbly legs take the stand; Keane Lewis-Potter cut back when he should have shot.
While City faced Brentford, Omar Marmoush scored again against Freiburg.
There are defensive recruits for City: Abdukodir Khusanov (pictured) and Vitor Reis.
It was a completely fun game for the neutral with action from start to finish throughout.
New additions arrive in that area of the field: two centre-backs. For 33 million pounds, Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens. And the teenager Vitor Reis from Palmeiras for 29.4 million pounds.
There is potential for both to do work at full-back, which can lighten the load on tired legs, especially given Walker's impending departure while also dealing with injuries to Ruben Dias and John Stones.
A failure to attack Lewis-Potter's free-kick featured a free header heading towards Nathan Collins, which sailed past the post, while Savinho, holding off Doku and Grealish, was cleared and crashed into the post.
City have always found this area of west London a tricky maneuver and largely looked more composed on the ball than in previous weeks. Haaland somehow just planted a free header down Flekken's throat.
Even after shockingly losing their last three at home, Brentford were fancying something. Gvardiol last resort in Wissa; Mikkel Damsgaard thought he had failed in the first game, but was called offside.
The shooting continued on a night when it had been clocked at 26 o'clock. A back and forth, blow by blow. Something Frank would have loved; something Guardiola knows would never happen if City approached their best level of control.
The quality of Foden's goal spoke of how good these attackers can still be. Savinho, a threat all night, paced and found De Bruyne wide to the right. One touch, curl, Foden between the centre-halves, a deft guide towards the far post. Poetry.
Foden scored a hat-trick here last February and this meant goals in consecutive starts for the first time since April. Having him back properly would be a huge plus.
Foden's first strike in particular was a beauty as he cleverly converted a ball from Kevin de Bruyne.
The striker has struggled to regain form, but put his team two up on a night of wasted shots.
Yoane Wissa took advantage of poor defending in the box to spark the Bees' comeback.
Norgaard's header came in added time, but Stefan Ortega should have done better
That was its moment, when everything came together, but the opening of the City still yawns. Carved into pieces once again, Mbeumo in Wissa's signature. Six meters away, Nathan Ake launched himself in an attempt to prevent the tie.
It should have provided a platform to secure these points, a third successive victory, with Foden shrugging his claim after converging on a loose ball with De Bruyne.
But Brentford bounced back. Wissa beat Ortega to Mads Roerslev's cross with eight minutes remaining and there was a feeling there was more to come.
Norgaard stood out after a late cross, Ortega couldn't prevent it and looked too weak.