Rebuilding Man City: Which players should Pep Guardiola recruit?

Manchester City need a lot. It's a little confusing to say this about the first team to win the English top flight four years in a row and whose seasons regularly reach the 60-game mark, but Pep Guardiola's squad has long looked a little weak physically. It wasn't until this season's injury crisis that it became clear just how much the Etihad Stadium's management have prioritised fitness and form.

City's regulars are too young or too old. Their squad is generous in some areas - there are plenty of centre-backs masquerading in other positions in the back line - and perversely weak in others. Seriously, who will lead the line if Erling Haaland gets injured or even needs a rest?

In recent weeks, even Guardiola - a man who said in 2023 he would rather not be a coach than field a 25-man squad - has admitted he should have built a wider squad. Even his players are crying out for competition, he admitted last month. "In winter it's not easy, but everyone is aware of that," Guardiola said. "I think even the players are asking us to sign a few players."

The winter window is not the only thing holding back City's business in January. Sources from the game suggest that the imminent conclusion of the Premier League's case against their champions threatens to dampen the interest of some potential suitors who want certainty over the club's long-term future.

For this exercise, however, let's put aside the uncertainties that could arise if the league comes down hard on City. Instead, let's look at some of the many gaps in this team and consider how they might be filled, using near-unlimited resources because it's more fun and because this is a team owned by a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family. We'll start with the easiest replacement of all:

1.The De Bruyne replacement

You might think that should go beyond new sporting director Hugo Viana. How do you find the next Kevin De Bruyne, the best player ever to wear a sky blue jersey? You need someone who regularly delivers double figures in goals and assists, a starter and ball carrier who is physically and mentally stronger than you might think, simply a guy who can be the focal point of an entire elite offence. May I introduce you to Florian Wirtz?

There is nothing more infallible than Wirtz, a 21-year-old who was already the star player of the Bayer Leverkusen side that no German opponent could beat last season. The Germany international is assured in possession, finds his way through a pressing game that City's opponents have been increasingly willing to employ of late, and he also directs his own team's work without the ball. The formation may be different, but Xabi Alonso's side play with comparable precision and patience to City. There is no transfer you can't miss, especially when a player comes in from abroad. If there was one, it might be the signing of Wirtz.

The same, of course, applies to every elite club in Europe. Most, if not all, will be positioning themselves for Wirtz's signature when he eventually leaves Leverkusen. It could be that whoever signs Alonso, who is known to have a close bond with his playmaker, will come out on top. And if City were to miss out on Wirtz, there clearly isn't much else out there. Perhaps his compatriot Jamal Musiala thinks he has won enough at Bayern Munich? That seems unlikely as he has recently expressed hopes of signing a new contract at Bayern.

After that, this goes from being one of the surest things in the rebuilding process to the hardest to unravel. Even in his weakened form, De Bruyne ranks third in the top five leagues in Europe in terms of shots on goal. Last season he scored a total of 0.7 expected goals and expected assists (xG+xA). A strong case could be made for Dejan Kulusevski. Perhaps Cole Palmer has developed into someone who carries the ball a bit more at another time, and is the homegrown replacement for De Bruyne. He's certainly not the only player City could really bring back.

2.A versatile striker

Last summer, Julian Alvarez wanted a new challenge. They got big money for the Argentine and didn't have to fulfil the needs of a striker who wouldn't have been happy in Haaland's shadow for long. But how could they cope with him again? In the 2023/24 season, Alvarez was a substitute in both roles in the Haaland-De Bruyne tandem. When both played, he was able to operate from out wide and get a lot of quality shots that eluded players like Jeremy Doku and Savinho. That didn't seem quite as necessary last season during Phil Foden's brilliance from outside the box. Now, with Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic the only non-Haaland players with over two Premier League goals, it feels like a necessity.

City have been linked with Omar Marmoush, a compelling option given his form at Eintracht Frankfurt, 13 goals and seven assists in 15 Bundesliga games this season. One could imagine him fitting in well with Guardiola, who is more willing than he is given credit for to utilise the two strikers Marmoush has excelled in this season. As impressive as the Egyptian's recent run has been, the first question every club will be asking in January is why he is already creating more shots on goal this season than last, why his creativity in particular has skyrocketed. He will soon be 26 years old. Will this Marmoush fulfil his potential or is he just on a roll?

In Italy, Ademola Lookman looks to be a tantalising option, the Atalanta striker looks set to surpass the 20 goals plus assists mark he has flirted with in the last two Serie A seasons. There is something special about the way Gian Piero Gasperini gets everything out of every striker who plays for Bergamo, but Guardiola is no slouch with strikers either.

Before we move on, an option for left field. Luis Diaz will soon be in the final two years of a contract that is well below the going rate for a regular at Liverpool. Under Arne Slot this season, he has proven he can operate both centrally and from the outside. You could pair him with Haaland or displace one of Doku and Savinho. Pulling teeth might be a more pleasant experience than dealing with City's great rival of the last decade, but Diaz could be worth it.

3.More help in midfield

According to both Guardiola's public statements and statements from City, reinforcements in midfield are most likely this month. In Rodri's absence, this is the most pressing need, as many of the problems in this team stem from the absence of the world's best player to set the tone in attack and sweep away the crumbs thrown at the defence. Just look at the rise in expected goals from the opposition, calculated on a five-game moving average, after the Ballon d'Or winner ruptured his cruciate ligament in September.

Of course, the challenge in recruiting a replacement player is what happens when he comes back? Knee surgery is no longer the career-ender it used to be, but a 29-year-old in one of the most physically and tactically demanding positions in football? It shouldn't be assumed that Rodri will be back to what he was. City definitely need to look for a player who can step in at short notice, possibly beyond this season, and who can also fit into the midfield alongside Rodri.

There are two targets that City appear to have settled on, and both would certainly do the job for them quite effectively. Martin Zubimendi showed in the second half of the Euro 2024 final what an effective replacement he can be for Rodri. No worries there, but perhaps Bruno Guimaraes is a slightly more tantalising option. Even leaving aside his outstanding performances in the Premier League, the Brazilian international has a quality that is ideal for City. He's terrible to play against, both when the ball is in play and out. He is often fouled. He drives the opposition endlessly into defence. The secret to this footballing superpower has long been how infuriating they are. Guimaraes would take that to a new level (or should we say low). And paying big money for him would make it easier for Newcastle to resist Arsenal's interest in Alexander Isak.

4.Defender

The other position Guardiola has hinted at strengthening is the defence, which has been plagued by injuries but is not necessarily short of players given that seven players are used in the back four. In theory, another defender could help, but on the surface this does not appear to be the most pressing issue.

On the other hand, City's defence now looks a little samey, a group that was too focused on the four centre-backs that won Guardiola his first Champions League title. Since then, City have sought a bit more variety in their full-backs, and the options in that regard are limited. With John Stones injured, Rico Lewis, who could generously be described as a project, is often the best option to move from defence to midfield.

Finding a replacement for Kyle Walker could be more pressing. The position itself doesn't necessarily have to be right-back, as the England international's great superpower is (or was?) his recovery speed. Break through the press, get Rodri aside with charm, and City's opponents still weren't gone. Walker would switch on the afterburner and catch up with even the fastest strikers.

That sheer pace is perhaps why City have been linked with their academy graduate Jeremie Frimpong, who would certainly have the base to win the ball back. However, in the last two seasons and transfers he has operated more as a winger than a defender. Since the start of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season, the Dutch international has had 429 touches of the ball in the opposition penalty area. In his own penalty area, he has taken 105 shots and intercepted 29 balls. Can any interested party really be sure that he is a good enough defender?

In terms of a solid defender who can push forward at the back, there is perhaps no better option than Micky van de Ven, at least assuming William Saliba doesn't play an Abebayor/Nasri/Clichy/Toure. The risk in signing the Tottenham centre-back is copying Josko Gvardiol's qualities as a left-sided centre-back. However, given the Croatian's development since his move from RB Leipzig, it might not be a bad idea to sign him full-time as a left-back. If not Van de Ven, Maxence Lacroix has shone for Crystal Palace in recent weeks.

On the other hand, Lewis probably needs help when Walker gets too old. It's encouraging to see a 20-year-old defender being offered opportunities with an elite team, but it might be sub-optimal for both City and the player that he has the fourth most minutes played in the Premier League this season. RB Leipzig's Lutsharel Geertruida appears to be a very Guardiola-like option, the kind of player who can cover the right side of centre-back as well as operate as a full-back. Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Yan Couto is at least getting game time at Borussia Dortmund and would be a more conventional, attacking option on the flank. It is also crucial that he is actually under contract at City. Given the amount of work they have to do, it's not a bad idea to get the best out of the players already in the squad.