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Manchester City: Patrick Roberts must have a place next season

By Kee Min

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - APRIL 29: Patrick Roberts of Celtic takes on Myles Beerman of Rangers during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox Stadium on April 29, 2017 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - APRIL 29: Patrick Roberts of Celtic takes on Myles Beerman of Rangers during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox Stadium on April 29, 2017 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images) /
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Patrick Roberts has been a force to be reckoned with for Celtic. How will he fit into Pep Guardiola’s place next season?

With Celtic once again inching towards the undefeated season in the Scottish Premiership, Patrick Roberts’ future remains in question. The young English winger struggled to kick off the season, constantly coming off the bench and producing mixed results. However, he has scored or assisted in last six out of seven games. This scintillating form naturally raised a question – what does the future hold for Roberts?

If you glance over the Manchester City team sheet, it is easy to be pessimistic about the Roberts’ future in England next season. With the names like Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, Jesus Navas and Nolito occupying the winger spot, there just does not seem to be a place for the young winger.

However, Navas is featuring more and more as a right-back. With that in mind, there is much-needed depth in the wide areas. Sterling and Sane has consistently featured as the two mainstays in the lineup. Unfortunately, they are rapidly running out of gas. Pep Guardiola even featured a lineup without winger for the first time this season against Middlesbrough. The result of that was a frustrating first half, substitutions of Sane and Sterling, and a laboring draw against the relegation side.

Perhaps the most interesting part is that Nolito still did not feature in the starting eleven. With the Spanish winger reportedly looking to force a move for more playing time, this can possibly open up more opportunities for Roberts. Even if he is staying, Pep Guardiola has a history of giving minutes to his wingers. In Barcelona, David Villa, Messi, Alexis Sanchez, and Pedro all received extended playing time under him. In Bayern Munich, Frank Ribery, Arjen Robben, Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa played a good deal of minutes. Without a doubt, there will be a room for a player as talented as Roberts.

It ultimately comes down to what happens in transfer window and pre-season. If Guardiola feels that he must spend money to reinforce the wide areas, the former Fulham starlet will be loaned out once again. However, even if Patrick Roberts stays he must prove his worth during the pre-season tours. Pep is not simply going to hand any youngsters minutes over proven veterans. His lethal touch in the box is something that has been missing from the Manchester City wingers. If his skills can transition into the Premier League, the Citizens might have a gem in their hands.