Pep Guardiola has to accept the fact that despite his determined approach of playing youngsters to impose his attractive footballing style, it has been the aged legs of Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, David Silva, who had to step up in troubling times. And though the Spanish manager has grand plans of revamping the squad with fresh blood next season, there is a huge doubt to what extent he will be successful in doing it.
One such case is of midfielder Yaya Toure. The former Ivory Coast international was pretty much sidelined by the manager for most of the first half of the season and returned only after the highly-rated Ilkay Gundogan was declared out of the season with a cruciate ligament injury. It was the 34-year-old’s brace against Crystal palace, which gave City a much-needed relief after managing just one win their previous five fixtures.
He has played 22 times since then, where has scored four times playing the role of City’s prime orchestrator in the midfield. However, his contract comes to an end this summer and Guardiola doesn’t seem to hold on to him any longer, albeit acknowledging his brilliant abilities.
Here are 3 players, who could replace the towering midfielder at Etihad Stadium-
Franck Kessie- Already touted by many as the “next Yaya Toure”, this 20-year-old midfielder is tremendously fast in the middle of the park with some sublime dribbling skills. His offensive and defensive attributes are very much similar to the Ivory Coast legend and City would actually get a more mobile avatar of Toure in him.
The Atalanta player has earned rave reviews from Serie A so far. Kessie might not be as tall as Toure, but his strong physique and control on the ball make him a brilliant replacement.
Ilkay Gundogan- Gundogan was actually brought in to take on the mantle from Toure in City’s midfield, and it is sheer misfortune that he was sidelined quite early in the season. He could play only 10 times in the league managing three goals and one assist.
His ability to dribble past opponents from the congested midfield and take shots from way out of the box makes him one of the best midfielders in the league. He was also instrumental in City’s Champions League campaign, scoring twice and assisting once in the group stages. He has a lot expected of him next season.
Alex Garcia- A distant shot surely, but this City academy product has shown promising displays in the little chances Guardiola gave him in Premier League. He has mostly played for the U-23 side, getting the first-team action only four times. But his pace with the ball and quick thinking has caught the eyes of many. At 19, he may not play a major role next season itself, but he looks to be a significant part of Guardiola’s rebuilding.
