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Proposed changes for Manchester City next season

By Zoheb Alam

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 23: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at The King Power Stadium on May 23, 2021 in Leicester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 23: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur at The King Power Stadium on May 23, 2021 in Leicester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK following the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images) /
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Manchester City would be disappointed to have missed out on the opportunity of lifting their maiden Champions League title. Their opponents, Chelsea, were simply at their best at the Estadio Do Dragao in Porto. The 20/21 season has, however, not been all gloomy for the Cityzens. The club won two pieces of silverware in the form of a Premier League title and the Carabao Cup.

Honestly, this City squad is much more capable than lifting just a double. In April, Pep Guardiola’s side was in contention to win the quadruple-Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League. The Blues, however, derailed the expectations of a possible quadruple as they handed a 1-0 defeat to the Sky Blues in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

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The important question is how do the Cityzens improve their shortcomings ahead of the next season.

The club will definitely look to improve its squad strength before the commencement of its new campaign.

The prospect of tweaking the entire squad will require recruitment. Guardiola himself will have to make some tough calls as he is again under pressure to achieve the club’s biggest objective. The UEFA Champions League.

It is pertinent to note that this star-studded squad does not need a major overhaul. Players like Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez, Ruben Dias are the face of the club and have not shown signs of fatigue during their stay at the Etihad. Like I said earlier, the clubs need some tweaks. Hence, a couple of new signings can help the team in filling out the loopholes.

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Last season, the Sky Blues managed to sign some quality players in the form of Ferran Torres, Nathan Ake, and Ruben Dias. Fortunately, all three signings did fare well in their debut stint with the club. They did improve the squad as a whole and had put up some impressive displays in the City shirt.

Despite being the highest goalscoring team in the Premier League, the Sky Blues did lack some attacking prowess upfront. Both Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling have often dropped to the bench the last term and hence the goalscoring responsibilities were handed to the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden, and  Riyad Mahrez.

Pep Guardiola has always been in favor of the “false nine” approach. However, Sergio Aguero’s departure will now open up a slot in the strike position. Now to fill up that attacking role, there are have been big names linked to that spot.

I personally feel the vacant no.9 position should be handed to Harry Kane. The Tottenham attacker has been one of the best forwards in the Championship and is currently in his prime form. The Englishman finished the recently concluded season as top scorer with 23 goals in the Premier League.

The City boss recently admitted that his club cannot “afford” the striker due to the high price tag. The Premier League holders will although reconsider their plans ahead of the next season and hence the chances of bringing Kane to Etihad is not yet an “impossible” task.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: A dejected Benjamin Mendy of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leicester City at Etihad Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 27: A dejected Benjamin Mendy of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leicester City at Etihad Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images) /

Therefore, I believe it’s important that the club takes initiative in selling their star member rather than confining him to a minor role in the squad. His present valuation is around 20 million euros. The Cityzens will, however, look to generate at least 30 million from his proposed departure.

Conclusion

These were some of the necessary changes which I think can help the team in the next season. A world-class striker upfront is definitely the need of the hour for Manchester City. An inconsistent Raheem Sterling will not help the club in winning the big trophies (mainly the  UEFA Champions League). It will be unfair to expect a young Phil Foden and an inexperienced Ferran Torres to simply help the club in reaching the big milestones. I suggest it is vital for the club to make a strong change in the no.9 position ahead of the new season. It remains to be seen whether the Sky Blues look to break their bank once more for a high-profile name in the ongoing summer transfer window.

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