Why Angeliño should be given a chance next season

Manchester City left back Angeliño is returning from an excellent loan spell at RB Leipzig, with whom he reached the Champions League semi-finals.

After Manchester City pulled off a shrewd bit of business a year ago in exercising their very reasonable buy-back clause on then-PSV left back Angeliño. During the first half of last season at City, he featured more than expected as part of the rotation with Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko, but was surprisingly loaned to RB Leipzig for the second half of the year despite decent performances.

With the new season quickly approaching, the Spanish defender has returned to Manchester, but rumors continue to circulate stating that Leipzig and Barcelona are looking to bring him in on a permanent basis. City seem to have little desire to keep the player, but in my opinion, this is a mistake.

Although I do not believe that Angeliño should be City’s first-choice left back (I believe it should be João Cancelo), on current form, I believe Angeliño is a better option than either Mendy or Zinchenko to back him up. Both of the latter players have seriously struggled for consistency all season, causing them to be displaced by Cancelo, a natural right back. On the other hand, Angeliño has flourished since achieving regular first-team football, looking solid defensively and a forward-thinking threat.

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The Bundesliga is not the Premier League, but his European performances against some of the continent’s top sides has been immense this year, and I do not believe City should simply let him walk without giving him a real opportunity. Leipzig, like City, are a high-pressing, forward-thinking team that demands much from their fullbacks. There is a desire for Mendy to succeed by nearly everyone at the club given the fee paid for him, but if Angeliño is the more consistent player, City should cut their losses and give themselves the best opportunity to win, regardless of sentimentality.

Mendy may have much more talent, but his high potential has yet to be realized while Angeliño provides a consistent, known quantity who will deliver good performances. Therefore, with the new season rapidly approaching, City would be wise in my opinion to give the Spaniard another opportunity to make his mark as City look to regain their Premier League crown.