Just a few weeks after winning a historic Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble, Manchester City are already looking to reshuffle to their first-team squad ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
The Citizens are set to bid farewell to club captain Ilkay Gundogan, who has reportedly agreed to join Barcelona on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of this month, while Bernardo Silva is believed to be keen to seek pastures new.
However, Pep Guardiola's side have struck a deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic for an initial £25m plus £5m in add-ons, while they have also stepped up their interest in West Ham United star Declan Rice.
City still have some work to do in their pursuit of Rice, though, as they endeavour to fend off competition from Arsenal, but it is understood that the treble winners are close to reaching an agreement with West Ham.
Meanwhile, the Citizens are also hoping to finalise a deal to sign Kovacic's Croatian compatriot Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig, and they have reportedly made positive progress in negotiations over personal terms.
The highly-rated defender, who could be viewed as a replacement for Aymeric Laporte, has expressed his desire to play in the Premier League, but City will likely have to stump up a "huge fee" to lure the 21-year-old to the blue side of Manchester.
Ahead of the 2023-24 campaign, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how Man City could line up with Kovacic, Rice and Gvardiol.
Man City reaped the rewards from Guardiola's notable change in formation after the World Cup break, and the Catalan boss is expected to stick with the fluid 3-2-4-1 setup heading into the new campaign. Three central defenders, two midfield pivots, four attacking midfielders and a lone striker will line up when in control of possession, while one of the pivots can drop into defence to create a back four when out of possession.
Should City fork out big money to lure Gvadiol to the Etihad, the Croatian – a left-footed defender who can operate at either centre-back or left-back – would presumably feature regularly on the left side of a back three and provide stern competition for Nathan Ake, who admirably found his feet under Guardiola last season. Meanwhile, Ruben Dias – who is a strong candidate to replace Gundogan as City captain – is expected to continue in the heart of a defence that protects first-choice goalkeeper Ederson.
Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Rico Lewis are all options to start on the right side of defence, although the former has been linked with a switch to Bayern Munich as a replacement for Joao Cancelo, who has returned to the Etihad following his brief loan spell with the German giants but is widely expected to leave on a permanent basis this summer.
One of the real winners from Guardiola's change in formation was Stones, who was a revelation in his hybrid midfield role alongside Spanish lynchpin Rodri. The duo provided a strong platform when playing together, enabling City to dictate games from the middle of the pitch, and while Stones could continue in the same position at times next season, he may also drop back into defence to allow English compatriot Rice to operate alongside Rodri. Rice could even play alongside Stones so that Rodri – who started more games (52) than any other City player last season – can be given a well-earned rest from time to time, while Kalvin Phillips, Lewis and Kovacic could also be used as a pivot.
Rice began his career as a centre-back and has since developed into an all-round midfielder capable of making a real impact in and around both boxes. The 24-year-old would mostly likely operate as a deep-lying midfielder should he sign for City, but he also has the credentials to play further forward in a similar role to that of Gundogan alongside chief creator Kevin De Bruyne. However, this role could also be filled by Phil Foden or new recruit Kovacic.
Kovacic is not known for scoring goals, netting just 24 times in 491 club appearances compared to Gundogan's 110 in 557 career games, but counter-pressing and ball retention are two key aspects of his game, while the midfield engine's ability to carry the ball forward and wriggle his way out of trouble in tight spaces could also prove beneficial in Guardiola's system, whether he plays just in front of the defence or in an advanced midfield role combining with the frontline.
As for Foden, he has featured several times on the flanks for City, but it is understood that Guardiola is looking to integrate the academy graduate into a more central role next season, which could therefore see Riyad Mahrez nail down a place on the right wing, especially if Bernardo Silva is sold this summer. Jack Grealish, meanwhile, is assured of regular starts on the left after establishing himself as an influential player for Guardiola's side last season.
The first-choice focal point of Guardiola's attack is of course goal machine Erling Braut Haaland, who will be hoping to follow up his exceptional 52-goal debut campaign with another stellar showing in 2023-24, while versatile World Cup winner Julian Alvarez is competent playing anywhere across the front three or in an attacking midfield role, where he featured several times when De Bruyne was either rested or injured and linked up brilliantly with Haaland in the final third.
Oliver Thomas
