While Manchester City’s season can still be seen as a success, winning a fourth consecutive Premier League title, losing in the Champions League semi-finals to Real Madrid and in the FA Cup final to Manchester United will have gnawed away at Pep Guardiola.
Their squad is arguably the strongest in England, but as seen in the defeats to Madrid and United, a few weaknesses have crept up on them as they failed to repeat their treble heroics from the year before.
Could this be the summer in which Pep undergoes somewhat of a rebuild at City? Especially with the future of Kevin De Bruyne uncertain amid recent comments about a move to Saudi Arabia.
What the club needs is another midfielder or two to bulk up that area of the pitch. Could one such player arrive from a fellow Premier League side?
Man City transfer news
According to the Athletic, Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is wanted by City this summer as Guardiola aims to bolster his team with one of the finest midfield talents in the Premier League.
It is reported that the Brazilian has a £100m release clause inserted into his contract which runs until the end of this month, meaning City may have to act fast if they wish to sign him at this price.
The midfield is the main area of concern for Guardiola this summer, especially considering there is a lack of depth in this area.
De Bruyne is 32, while Mateo Kovacic is 30 and there is no doubt the Brazilian could be an ideal upgrade on the former Real Madrid gem.
Why Bruno Guimaraes could be a perfect upgrade on Mateo Kovacic
The Croatian made the move from Stamford Bridge to the Etihad last summer for a transfer fee in the region of £25m, which looked like a bargain considering the success he had enjoyed for Madrid previously.
With Guardiola requiring some more steel at the heart of his midfield, Kovacic formed a solid duo alongside Rodri as the club won yet another Premier League title.
Across all competitions, the 30-year-old made 46 appearances for City, adding the English top-flight title to his vast list of silverware won during a glory-laden career.
Guimaraes is four years younger than the Croatian star. However, more importantly, he appears to be coming into his peak years, which could be another advantage for Guardiola as he seeks further improvement.
In terms of trophies won, Kovacic is a clear winner, yet there is only one victor when it comes to who was the better player during the 2023/24 campaign – Guimaraes.
When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the Newcastle machine currently ranks in the top 3% for successful take-ons (1.85), the top 10% for assists (0.21), the top 10% for shot-creating actions (3.81) and in the top 14% for non-penalty goals (0.17) all per 90, it shows just how impressive he is going forwards.
Metric
Kovacic
Guimaraes
Goals
1
7
Key passes per game
0.7
1.7
Big chances created
3
12
Assists
0
8
Total duels won per game
2.5
7.7
In comparison, Kovacic, when ranked among his own counterparts in Europe’s top five leagues, fails to rank in the top 50% for non-penalty goals (0.05) or for assists (0) per 90, while also ranking in the top 27% for shot-creating actions (3.08) and the top 21% for successful take-ons (1.09) per 90. These statistics clearly prove that the 26-year-old is certainly the more effective player from an attacking perspective, which will be of benefit to the City side next season.
A central midfield duo of Kovacic and Rodri yielded just 12 goals between them during the entire season. Swapping the Croatian for Guimaraes may well be the missing piece for the City midfield next term.
How Bruno Guimaraes could form a dream partnership with Rodri
"With him, we are a better team," said Guardiola back in March about his compatriot who went on a staggering unbeaten run for City.
Guardiola heaped further praise on his star man by claiming that he is “"the best midfield player, currently, in the world by far.” And nothing has changed in the months that have followed this admission.
When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Rodri ranks in the top 1% for pass success rate (91.9%), passes attempted (112.71) and progressive passes (12.16) per 90, which is certainly evidence of Guardiola’s comments about him being the best in the world.
His range and vision means the 27-year-old can regularly dictate play and control matches from the heart of the midfield. Having someone like Guimaraes next to him who could provide a more attacking threat, could allow Rodri to continue his dominance.
Guimaraes has been hailed as “magnificent” by his manager, Eddie Howe, and it is clear that everything good at Newcastle comes from the midfielder.
In the Premier League season, not only did the Brazilian score seven goals, but he also registered eight assists, created 12 big chances, averaged 1.7 key passes and succeeded with 1.9 dribbles per game, becoming a key attacking threat for the Magpies and who knows what position they would have finished in had it not been for the 26-year-old.
It is clear that City have had their eye on the player for a while and a prospective move certainly makes a lot of sense, especially with the qualities that he could bring to the Etihad outfit.
While Guardiola has won everything there is to be won during his eight-year stint in charge of City, his constant need to evolve and improve is the reason why the club are still at the very top of the ladder, especially domestically.
Every so often, however, a good team sometimes needs to be taken apart and rebuilt. With a couple of his midfield options approaching the twilight stages of their careers, adding a few younger players may not be a bad thing during the summer transfer window.
Man City could boost Gvardiol by signing "the best LB in the world"
He could be available this summer
ByJoe NuttallJun 2, 2024
Guimaraes’ profile fits what Guardiola is looking for in a player. Having served his Premier League apprenticeship in Newcastle, he could become a fully-fledged member of the elite should City come calling.
Having previously admitted he finds it "so annoying" coming up against Rodri in a midfield battle, it might be nice for the Brazilian to be alongside the Spaniard for a change – hey, if you can't beat them, join them…