Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has three solutions for the right-back role in his existing squad roster, a journalist has revealed.City sold Kyle Walker to Burnley in July for a deal potentiall...
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has three solutions for the right-back role in his existing squad roster, a journalist has revealed.
City sold Kyle Walker to Burnley in July for a deal potentially worth £5 million if conditions are met after the 35-year-old returned to the Etihad Stadium off the back of an unsuccessful loan spell at AC Milan, whom he joined in January.
Right-back has grown to be an Achilles heel for Pep Guardiola, who has leaned on the trio of Matheus Nunes, Rico Lewis and Abudkodir Khusanov to cover the position after Walker’s mid-season departure last term.
Manchester City were keen on signing a new right-back in the current transfer window, with Newcastle and England U-21 defender Valentino Livramento believed to be strong interest at the Etihad Stadium.
However, Newcastle and Eddie Howe were adamant that Livramento is not for sale and an offer would only be considered should Manchester City make a bid that is too good to turn down for the Carabao Cup holders.
Livramento has three years left on his current deal at St. James’ Park and despite reports indicating that the 22-year-old full back was keen to move to Manchester, talks with Newcastle met an impasse earlier in the summer.
City have made six new signings this summer after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign wherein they finished third in the Premier League with 71 points, exited the UEFA Champions League at the Round of 16 stage and lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace.
Despite their initial stance on a new right-back, particularly following the departure of Walker, Manchester City are set to embark upon the 2025-26 campaign in the absence of a natural right-back – a decision that they have made recurringly made at left-back over the years before this summer’s much-awaited acquisition of Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves.
As revealed by journalist Guillem Balague, while Manchester City did not find a specialist in the right-back position during the still-ongoing summer transfer window, Matheus Nunes, John Stones and Manuel Akanji will play there throughout the course of the campaign.
Stones is set to stay at Manchester City into the final year of his current deal, with Nunes also earning a stay after a solid second half of the 2024-25 campaign wherein he played a key role in City’s Premier League run-in, notably scoring a crucial injury-time winner against fellow top four hopefuls Aston Villa in April.
Akanji struggled for fitness and form for much of the recent campaign but Guardiola prizes the Swiss international’s ability to operate at full-back, though it has to be said that Stones is a much reliable and better option in the position.
Rico Lewis has also played at right-back since he broke into the Manchester City first-team midway through the 2022-23 campaign, though Guardiola is believed to have his eyes on playing the 20-year-old City academy graduate in his natural midfield position this term.
Category: General Sports
