Man City are still in desperate need of summer signings.
Despite spending over €300 million on new players in 2025, Man City’s squad is still desperately short in two key areas: goalkeeper and centre-back.
Proof of this need was provided, clear as day, as Man City were dumped out of the inaugural Club World Cup by Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal 4-3 after extra-time.
Goalkeeper
Goalkeeper is the major need and it’s honestly bizarre that Man City haven’t addressed it as yet. Ederson was rumoured to be leaving last summer and it’s bizarre City didn’t go ahead with that move as it was the right time.
Ederson has always been an average goalkeeper when it comes to actual goalkeeping. With the ball at his feet he’s one of the best deep-lying progressive passers in the world, but goalies wear gloves for a reason. The saving is the big thing.
Ederson has lost all presence that he had in the City goal. Whenever someone goes through 1-v-1 you have no confidence he’ll make a save.
In fact, against Al-Hilal, Ederson didn’t make a single save until deep into extra-time when he palmed a shot tamely back out into the danger zone, allowing Al-Hilal to score their winning goal on the rebound.
Stefan Ortega is a fine back-up, but Ederson needs to be sold and replaced by one of the following:
Marc-Andre Ter Stegen
The German is the only goalkeeper who can match wits with Ederson in terms of superhuman passing from the back, but at Barcelona he’s developed a reputation for being weak at actual goalkeeping and the Catalans have signed Joan Garcia to replace him as starting goalie for this season.
Obviously the similarities to Ederson are there, but his woes mean he wouldn’t be too expensive and who knows? A change of scenery could bring the best out of Ter Stegen again! His display in the UEFA Nations League third-place play-off show that there is still life in him yet. Could be a value add.
Lucas Chevalier
Aura is a huge thing for goalkeepers and Lucas Chevalier has that for days. Despite being only 6’2 he radiates the presence of a larger man. That alone would make him an improvement over Ederson.
Further, Chevalier’s athleticism in leaving his line or diving low across his goal to palm shots ’round the post would make him a formidable last line of defence for Pep Guardola’s men. He would certainly cost more, but could occupy that role for a decade.
Diogo Costa
Many assumed Diogo Costa would eventually replace Ederson at Man City, it just seemed destined to happen. The Portuguese goalie, who recently won the UEFA Nations League, is very accomplished with his feet and would fit Pep Guardiola’s system so nicely.
Costa’s issue is that he does appear to have a mistake in him at least once a game. Of course this could be covered for by City’s extensive ball dominance, but does probably explain why he’s still at Porto despite now being 25 years-old.
Senne Lammens
Not a name many will have heard of, Senne Lammens could be the next big thing in goalkeeping. Standing 6’4, he’s about to turn 23 years-old and has a dominant and imposing presence, something City would benefit from.
Lammens is comfortable with his feet but his main attraction is size and his ability to make saves. City may be wary of his lack of experience, but this is a player who could be truly special and given this is the same nation that produced Thibaut Courtois and Lammens isn’t likely to cost much, this is a move they should be making.
Centre-back
Man City spent €77 million recruiting centre-backs Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis in January, but both are young and inexperienced.
City’s veteran starters, with the exception of Josko Gvardiol, are all varying shades of bad. It honestly would not be an exaggeration to say that City could sell three centre-backs and still have a very healthy CB corps.
Pep Guardiola himself would be in favour of such a cull: “we have, right now, a long squad, too many players;” the Catalan announced, adding: “step by step maybe a few players are going to move.”
The obvious departures are John Stones, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji. Stones and Ake are simply too soft, both in terms of play style and ability to stay fit. Neither give City what they need right now. Akanji, meanwhile, was a desperation loan signing a few years ago who did really well initially and is certainly not soft, he’s just not good enough.
That would leave them with the experienced Ruben Dias who shouldn’t play much if at all, but is good for squad leadership. Similarly Vitor Reis should be sparingly used as the Brazilian is still young and learning.
This leaves you relying on Abdukodir Khusanov and Josko Gvardiol for the bulk of your centre-back minutes. Ideally you’d want a third centre-back as part of that “main” rotation, especially as you may draft Gvardiol out to left-back for some games, but who?
Yann Bisseck
What City really need at the back is someone who has the athletic ability to get them out of trouble the way Vincent Kompany used to (sure, Kompany would often be the one who got them into that trouble in the first place, but regardless!)
Yann Bisseck is a mountain of a man and could provide City with that same dominance. Having been coached by Simone Inzaghi at Inter, the German’s defensive instincts are superb and he has the athletic profile to be the guy who bails City out when there is a defensive breakdown. Inter may be reluctant to sell, but money talks.
Wilfried Singo
If Bisseck proves to be too expensive, 24 year-old Wilfried Singo from Monaco could provide a superb alternative. Playing for Monaco he’d be cheaper than Bisseck, and could be just as sensational at the back.
Singo reads the game superbly, playing with anticipation and timing. But he also has the athletic ability to get himself (and his team-mates) out of trouble should the need arise.
He’s also got a nice long-range pass on him, which is a skill Pep Guardiola could absolutely make use of. And he could even cover at right-back if need be.
Singo is the kind of player that gets signed by a mid-table Premier League/La Liga club for cheap and then after one year is suddenly worth €70 million. City should skip that step and just sign him now while he’s good and cheap.
Antonio Silva
Given City are essentially looking for a young Ruben Dias they could do worse than simply going back to Benfica and picking up… the next Ruben Dias.
Antonio Silva is a broad shouldered ball-playing centre-back. He would be composure and creativity to the City back-line. Moreover, as he’s Portuguese he’s the perfect choice to spend a year or so learning from Ruben Dias, absorbing everything the veteran can teach, before becoming a cornerstone of the City defence.
Illia Zabarnyi
Zabarnyi lacks the athletic traits the other options do and if City were to sign him, it’d be clear they’d be doing so for his ability to read the game and then making good covering runs to help out his more aggressive partners (e.g. Dean Huijsen).
PSG are rumoured to be after him as a long-term replacement for Marquinhos, which should tell you everything about his style and quality. He could be a great defensive leader for City and even better, he already knows the frenetic pace of Premier League.
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