When Manchester City announced in October that Sporting Hugo Viana de CP would be in charge of Txiki Begiristain as the club's soccer director this summer, the team was still undefeated in all competitions. Now the defenders of the Premier League are in a battle to finish among the top four, outside Europe, and their only possibility of cutlery is the FA Cup, where they meet Nottingham Forest in the semifinals on Sunday (Broadcast live at 11:25 am et in ESPN+).
With a delivery period by Begiristain, Viana officially began working on April 7 and one of several tasks before the summer transfer window will be to find out how to renew the center of the club field. The Legend of the Kevin club in Bruyne has already announced that it will leave its contract, and it is increasingly likely that Ilkay Gündogan and Bernardo Silva also follow the 33 -year -old player.
While City spent more than 150 million euros on four newcomers in January and can look for promising talents already in the club as Oscar Bobb, Claudio Echeverri, Nico O'Reilly and James Mcatee, almost surely will be a summer of purchases and reactions in the Etihad. And with the 115 charges of the Premier League that are coming about the club, as well as without certainty about the participation of the Champions League next season, Viana will have her job.
So how is such a complex reconstruction made? Instead of aiming similar replacements for De Bruyne and others, the way to follow for Pep Guardiola will be multipurpose midfielders with quality to fill a variety of positions. As with many of their squad, they must feel comfortable in the field, but it is also key that those in charge of a more central role can gell with Ballon d'Or Winner Rodri when he returns from an injury.
Here are some that the city should be considering.
1:23
Is Man City making an error by letting Bruyne leave?
Janusz Michalik and Luis Miguel Echegaray discuss Kevin's performance from Bruyne against Crystal Palace with Michalik asking if Man City will regret letting the midfielder leave.
Attacking the center of the field (No. 10)
Florian Wirtz, 21, Bayer Leverkusen
Transfer value: € 140m
An obvious firm if there was ever one. Wirtz was the attacker catalyst in the double -winning leverkusen campaign last season and has repeated his devastating impact on this campaign. The 21 -year -old has all the expected attributes of a world class number, which is in the space behind the striker and the center of the field, since it is tremendously creative (2.30 key passes for 90 minutes), brilliant to find space between the lines, and is a high volume driblbler (3.50 successful for 90 minutes). The most important thing).
Wirtz is the type of player who should be able to dictate the Guardiola attack structure, supplying the ends and corridors of the center of the field, as well as advancing in rebounds and layoffs of central striker Erling Haaland.
Is it likely to happen? Intelligent money seems to be in Wirtz joining Bayern Munich, while Real Madrid is also considering an offer, and is questionable if the German international would like to join the city in the midst of a great reconstruction. If the Champions League is lost, then they will not have a hope, while splashing around 140 million euros in a player would also compromise the club's capacity to complete other signings.
Key statistics: 33 goals and 33 assists since the beginning of last season are surprising numbers.
Xavi Simons, 21, RB Leipzig
Transfer value: € 70m
Simons has not yet reached the Wirtz level, but there are some factors that strengthen its candidacy. He coincides with his rival in Pass Key statistics, but his transfer would cost much less, and he should fit perfectly in Guardiola's football style given his experience in the La Masia de Barcelona Academy.
The Netherlands International also has finishing skills above the average and a movement towards a more dominant side of possession should see that its objectives and help numbers increase considerably. Like Wirtz, Simons is also excellent in Set pieces, something that will be missing in De Bruyne.
Key statistics: 2.24 Key passes per 90 minutes is fair with elite attack midfielders in Europe.
Nico Paz, 20, as
Transfer value: € 35m
The elite clubs in Europe are monitoring the young international of Argentina on the back of a magnificent season of rupture in series A, where he has had seven assists and six goals in 30 games. Although Real Madrid, according to reports, has the first refusal to sign Paz again for about € 9 million thanks to a clause in the 6 million euros agreement that led him to as in the summer.
City would have to act quickly and pay the chances of signing peace, but it is only 20 years old and is a very high ceiling for development. In fact, he has proven to be able to score from distance or provide balls ordered to his teammate and, like Wirtz and Simons, he also stands out for receiving and passing confined spaces.
Key statistics: 2.85 Shots for 90 minutes are decent numbers that show that it can be a threat of goal.
Morgan Gibbs-White, 25, Nottingham Forest
Transfer value: € 50m
Although he is a midfielder with a technical profile different from the aforementioned players, Gibbs-White blooms on a free paper No. 10 and offers Nuno Espirito Santos an X factor in the final third, with five goals and seven assists this season, as well as a good defensive production.
The former Wolves Academy graduate has had a couple of outstanding seasons in Nottingham Forest and has been key to his promotion this season. An interesting aspect of his game is his sharp, varied and direct step, often begins the counterattacks in the eye opening and closing when his side recovers possession.
Gibbs-White always seeks to participate in the play and its rapid decision making, its excellent vision and its goals goal from the midfield make it very desired by the best traditional clubs. However, how it would settle on a more patient side than a forest is an interesting question.
Key statistics: He puts 0.31 XA, an expected assistance for each third game.
Leave Kulusevski, 24, Tottenham Hotspur
Transfer value: € 60m
Although this transfer has a small possibility of materializing, since the Sweden international has a contract until 2028 and it is unlikely that the Spurs consider any offer for one of their best players, City could feel that the terrible season of the Spurs offers them the opportunity to persuade it.
While Kulusevski could have a very direct style for Guardiola, few high -level players are more devastating in the transition. After having been reinvented from one end to a central midfielder, Kulusevski represents a threat of serious goal and his shot is classified with the best. He could play like a No. 8, a player who arrives from Cash to Caja quickly, especially in games away from home, and could also offer Guardiola added value on a wide paper if necessary.
Key statistics: 2.6 Key passes for every 90 minutes Place Kulusevski in the upper 2% of the premier -attacker midfielders.
2:26
Will Kevin de Bruyne end in MLS?
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Middieldfield from cash to cash (No. 8)
Tijjani Reijnders, 26, AC Milan
Transfer value: € 50m
The role of the central midfielder of the entire action requires a participation at both ends of the field and there are few better options than Reijnders, which has scored 14 goals for its club and three others for the Netherlands this season.
The key to its product in the final product has been a tactical adjustment, initiated by the former head of Milan Paulo Fonseca, who released the reijnders from some of his defensive responsibilities and encouraged him to shoot more frequently. In fact, at a speed of 2.35 shots for 90 minutes, it is now one of the happiest central midfielders of the shooting in the five best leagues in Europe.
While his new attacker is a great advantage, Reijnders is also dynamic and quickly returns to a pressing position when possession is lost. Its versatility is also useful for a team with several gaps to fill the positions of the center of the field.
Key statistics: In addition to its goal domain, a 90% success rate is impressive for a multipurpose midfielder.
Conor Gallagher, 25, Atlético Madrid
Transfer value: € 40m
After moving to Atlético from Chelsea for 42 million euros last summer, Gallagher has had a somewhat disappointing debut season in LaLiga. In Diego Simeone's mind, it seems more useful than indispensable and has been used mainly as a public service player, changing between several roles in the center of the field.
While it is difficult to find a central midfielder Roaming to replace Silva, Gallagher comes with some similar characteristics: he has energy bags, he loves to get into the ball, it is always available as a pass option and is active in both phases of the game.
In addition, it is better for Guardiola's positional scheme, instead of Simeone's rigid principles. Replicating Silva's objectives and assistance numbers must also be within the scope of Gallagher's possibilities.
Key statistics: Although Gallagher's attack contribution has been somewhat limited, he has made 2.8 cups for 90 minutes.
Ederson, 25, Atalanta
Transfer value: € 60m
Perhaps the player less guardiola style of all candidates, Ederson still offers some very valuable characteristics. It is more reliable than Flash, altruistic instead of individualistic, and it could be said that it is a closer replacement for defensive midfielder Fernandinho (who left in 2022) than those who probably leave this summer.
The International of Brazil would provide a solidifying presence in the center of the city countryside and, although Guardiola would probably prefer a more creative player next to Rodri, the Atalanta midfielder is mobile, with a resistance, aware of the position and brings an additional layer of defensive resistance.
Given the license to go forward, he is also able to make deep in the box (his head winner in Milan last weekend is a case) to have an impact on the attack side.
Key statistics: His six recoveries for every 90 minutes are impressive numbers for a central midfielder who spends time at the end of attack.
