5 players Manchester City should sign

The transfer merry-go-round is at a full swing as teams are strengthening their squads for the upcoming season. The Premier League shows us the most promise as the likes of Guardiola and Mourinho will once again be going head-to-head against each other.

And since the Portuguese has signed some tremendous big-name players, Pep Guardiola also hasn’t gone about quietly in this window. Already acquiring the likes of Nolito and Gundogan, the former Barca boss is showing his intent with the Citizens.

If reports are to be believed, then he is not stopping there as he could make at least 3 more signings before the window slams shut. And here are 5 players that he could sign…

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#5 Leonardo Bonucci

Another Guardiola-type center-half. Bonucci wasn’t so popular among Juventus fans during his initial years at the club. However, Antonio Conte arrived and saw the huge potential that he had and turned him into perhaps the best ball-playing centre-back in football.

For Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, this is the perfect signing. He would be an incredible fit for the former Barcelona man’s style of play. However, there is a certain amount of risk involved with this signing as Bonucci operates at his best in a 3-man defense, something that Guardiola has rarely used in his time as a manager—and when he did with Bayern, it was usually Xabi Alonso who played in that role.

Perhaps this is why reports claim that the Italian is Guardiola’s backup plan should they fail to acquire the services of John Stones.

#4 Marlos Moreno

The type of revolution that Pep Guardiola is after, can be deciphered from the signings that he’s trying to make. Even though reports claim that Gabriel Jesus is almost sure to joined Man City, Pep Guardiola isn’t stopping there—and he is not going to until he lays his hands on the best young attacking players in football.

Marlos Moreno is another name that is making waves around the football fraternity.Moreno was absolutely devastating for Atletico Nacional and made many defenders look like a bunch of Sunday League Pub footballers with his skills.

His performances haven’t gone unnoticed and Pep Guardiola, having followed him closely over the last year, is apparently a big fan. Despite having so many attacking players, Pep has made his intentions clear as he brings in a new dawn of attacking football at the Etihad.

#3 Ricardo Rodriguez

If one looks at City’s squad, the position that needs real improvement is the left-back slot. With only Gael Clichy and Aleksandr Kolarov in the mix, the Citizens are somewhat under-power in that area.

For all the money that the Sheikh owners have spent in their time at City, they couldn’t really acquire the services of a world-class left-back. Ricardo Rodriguez, however, could break that conundrum as he is one of the best left-backs in the business today.

In Guardiola’s high-tempo system, he fits the bill perfectly. He is powerful, quick and is an exceptionally clever footballer who knows how to use his brain—a quality that not many possess.

#2 John Stones

A long and overdrawn transfer saga almost saw him join Chelsea last season. Imagine if that had happened; Jose Mourinho might still have had his job at the club. But we will get out of the world of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ and focus on the reality in front of us.

If one looks at the defenders that Manchester City have, it is filled with players that were bought for a lot of money, but couldn’t live up to the price tag tied around their necks. With the quoted price for John Stones being close to an astonishing £50 million, he would surely become another one of City’s expensive defender signings of recent times, should they sign him.

However, unlike Eliaquim Mangala and Nicolas Otamendi, he would come to the club with Premier League experience. What sets him apart even more, though, is the fact that he is excellent with the ball at his feet, something which the Spanish tactician loves in his defenders.

#1 Gabriel Jesus

Real Madrid, apparently, almost signed him until Pep Guardiola picked up the phone and called the Brazilian to personally convince him to join the Citizens—and that, if reports are to be believed, seems to have done the trick as Gabriel Jesus is on the brink of joining Manchester City.

The Palmeiras starlet is one of the brightest stars in the world of football and is coveted by a number of clubs. He is a left-inside by trait who uses his blistering turn of pace and astonishing ball control to cut inside the opponent’s defense and score goals.

He is young and does have this annoying habit of trying to do all by himself instead of playing a simple pass to a team-mate in a better position, but this is a common trait among many young players which gets curbed with age.

And under Pep Guardiola, he is sure to become a more complete player.