Manchester City‘s Nico O’Reilly has shown that he can “survive” in a Pep Guardiola team, but the Citizens are likely to pursue a more “natural” left-back in the transfer market, ex-Sky Blues defender Richard Dunne believes.
O’Reilly has been a shining light in a turbulent campaign for the former Premier League champions, forcing his way into Guardiola’s system as the Catalan coach’s new first-choice left-back.
The 20-year-old – who ordinarily plays in midfield – boasts five goals and two assists from 16 senior appearances in all competitions this season and excelled once again in Sunday’s 2-0 FA Cup semi-final triumph over Nottingham Forest.
Asked by Sports Mole whether O’Reilly could be City’s starting left-back for the next decade, Dunne replied: “It’s difficult. The manager asks a lot of the full-backs, something different from most other managers. Not the more traditional left and right-backs that he looks for.
“I think O’Reilly would probably prefer to be playing in midfield, getting into his more natural position. But the way that he plays the left-back role, he gets himself onto the ball, he gets himself involved in the games. It’s certainly a position which isn’t restricted to just being a defensive player.
“So I’d imagine they would probably look over a period of time for a more natural left-back player. But in terms of being in the team for the next 10 or 15 years, he’s certainly given himself a great platform to grow from.
“I think Pep’s got a lot of trust in him. He’s produced goals, he’s produced assists, he’s working hard. So far, the signs are really good that he’s a player that can survive in Man City’s first team.”
What “natural left-backs” can City pursue in the transfer market?
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O’Reilly’s versatility, attacking prowess and willingness to do a job for the team in any position makes him a perfect fit for a Guardiola system, and to even call the 20-year-old a left-back right now would not be wholly accurate.
Flash back to O’Reilly’s goal against Everton a couple of weeks ago, where the England Under-20 international crashed the six-yard box, and it would not be a surprise to see him operate in a more central attacking role if James McAtee follows Kevin De Bruyne out of the exit door.
Guardiola can still call upon Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake to step in at left-back, but the latter is particularly injury prone, and full-backs are expected to be high on the Citizens’ transfer agenda this summer.
On Sunday night, it was reported that the Sky Blues had received a significant boost in their pursuit of Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso, as the Bianconeri have allegedly identified a suitable replacement for the Italian.
Cambiaso would be able to function on either side of the backline for Man City, who are also expected to wave goodbye to Kyle Walker permanently this summer, but the Citizens are not short of alternative targets.
AC Milan’s Theo Hernandez has been mentioned too, as have Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Rayan Ait-Nouri, Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and Benfica’s Alvaro Carreras, formerly of Manchester United.
However, as Liverpool may also be pursuing a long-term Andy Robertson successor this summer, a fascinating transfer tussle could emerge between Merseyside and Manchester for new left-backs.
Richard Dunne was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of talkSPORT BET.
