Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola is right when he says that his side do not need to add any new centre-backs to their squad this summer, ex-Sky Blues defender Richard Dunne has exclusively told Sports Mole.
After watching Liverpool rip the Premier League title from their grasp at the weekend, the former English champions are expected to undergo a significant squad overhaul this summer, but Guardiola told reporters last week that his side did not need to buy any more centre-halfs.
The Citizens bolstered their rearguard ranks in January with the signings of Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis in January, as the pair joined Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and John Stones as Guardiola’s central options, but the latter two are currently nursing injuries and have missed 29 games between them.
Akanji also spent two months out with an adductor problem until recently, while he, Dias and Ake could all leave for free in 2027, and Stones’s contract is up at the end of next season.
However, former City defensive stalwart Dunne agrees with Guardiola when he says that the club are well-covered, telling Sports Mole: You can have good young centre-halves, but you always need that experience.
Guardiola told how many fit centre-backs Man City need
“If Stones and Akanji aren’t playing or Ake isn’t available, you start to look at Ruben Dias being the only sort of experienced centre-half that they’ve got at the club at the moment.
“I think Khusanov has done really well since he’s come in. Reis we’ve seen probably a little bit less of, but looks a good player as well. The problem, I would presume, is they have players on the books and they can’t just get rid of them. They can’t replace them that quickly.
“But if they can get Stones and Akanji fit, you know how good they are. Everyone knows there’s not many better than them. So in terms of numbers, I think if you have five centre-halves and a couple of young centre-backs coming through, I think the numbers are fine for them.
“It’s just about making sure that they do go through a season where they can keep their best and most experienced players available for the manager throughout the campaign.”
Three young defenders who could make an impact at Man City next season
In addition to Khusanov and Reis, it might be easy to forget that Man City also agreed the signing of Juma Bah from AIK Freetong during the January window, having immediately loaned him out to Lens in Ligue 1.
The 19-year-old has forced his way into the Sang et Or side relatively quickly, starting five of their last seven matches in the French top flight, and he should be given the chance to prove his worth to Guardiola in pre-season before a decision is made on whether to send him out on loan again.
Fellow 19-year-olds Max Alleyne and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey are seemingly the next centre-backs in line to make the jump from academy to senior level, as the latter has already played six times for the senior squad this season, including Premier League and Champions League starts.
Simpson-Pusey made the first XI for the 4-1 UCL loss to Sporting Lisbon in November and the 2-1 Premier League defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion that same month, while Alleyne is still waiting for his debut but has made the bench on four occasions.
Dunne also delivered a Man City transfer prediction for the summer window, one which could impact the emerging Nico O’Reilly and his place in the side.
Richard Dunne was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of talkSPORT BET.
