Let's have a brief recap of what went down on the blue side of Manchester last campaign.
Second successive Premier League title? Check. Both domestic cups? In the bag. The Champions League trophy? Nope. 'Old Big Ears' continues to elude the Citizens, no matter how desperately they want it.
A domestic treble and a joint-record winning margin in the #EmiratesFACupFinal
— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) May 19, 2019
More history for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola. pic.twitter.com/DGe0OuIEE7
Now, a domestic treble is nothing to scoff at, but Pep Guardiola will not be satisfied until he delivers a European Cup to the Etihad Stadium. If he hopes to achieve his goal in the coming season, there are several positions he must take a look at in his side.
Here's our take on where the Manchester City boss needs to strengthen in order to bring home the quadruple.
New Back-Up Striker
Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero are both excellent forwards in their own right, giving Guardiola a choice between two frightening options to lead his attack. However, it only takes a slight knock for one and suddenly the striking department looks rather thin.
A third frontman is required to take some of the burden off of Aguero and Jesus when the matches start to come thick and fast, which is inevitable when battling on four fronts. But, who fits the bill?
Lyon's Moussa Dembele struck an admirable 15 goals in Ligue 1 last term and, at just 22 years-of-age, there is plenty of room for improvement. Under Guardiola's tutelage, the Frenchman could blossom and would cost considerably less than his alternative, the similarly-youthful Joao Felix of Benfica.
The Heir to Fernandinho's Throne
Manchester City will pay the €70M release clause to sign Rodri from Atletico Madrid, reports @FabrizioRomano pic.twitter.com/j9LcwJ2HiF
— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 18, 2019
Fernandinho has been a superb servant for City and continues to dominate the midfield, but his tank must be running low as he reaches the twilight of his career. The 34-year-old is equally adept at destroying opposition moves as he is at building them for the Sky Blues, making it a tricky task to replace him.
Nevertheless, the Citizens' recruitment team appear to have come up trumps, with the capture of Atletico Madrid anchor Rodri all but secured. €70m is the reported fee
With the Atleti youngster and Fernandinho at his disposal, Guardiola will be spoiled for choice when it comes to the role of midfield enforcer, the position around which he builds his sides.
A Partner for Aymeric Laporte
Aymeric Laporte was a monster in 2018/19, rightfully earning a spot in the PFA Team of the Year. However, there was inconsistency when it came to who partnered the Frenchman at the back, with Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones and Vincent Kompany all getting their chance alongside him.
The latter seemed best-suited to the task, but has since called time on his City career, instead returning to Belgium. Kompany's departure should not signal alarm bells, though, as Leicester City talisman Harry Maguire is allegedly close to signing for the Premier League champions.
The England international is a perfect match for Laporte and together they would form a formidable partnership. The duo are tall and athletic, composed on the ball and capable of bringing it forward; effectively, they're both Pep's preferred type of defender.
£65m for Maguire? Worst deals have been made.
A Replacement for Nicolas Otamendi
No, there isn't a centre-back crisis going on at Manchester City. However, Guardiola must be having to rethink his backline after reports that Otamendi is dissatisfied with life in the north-west, with Atletico lining up a move for the Argentine.
Nevertheless, the club have no need to spend big on a new central defender, especially given the figures being mentioned with regards to Maguire and Rodri. Tosin Adarabioyo is ready to step up for the Sky Blues and become the team's new back-up centre-back option.
He's confident, physically imposing and quick across the turf, whilst also offering an impressive array of passing. It's clearly worth giving him an opportunity.
An Improvement on Danilo
Danilo has hardly been shambolic since his
A Better Alternative to Claudio Bravo
Source: 90min