Forget about signing Lionel Messi, what Man City really need is a new top centre back and it's crucial they pick the right one. Graham Ruthven looks at the options.
In hindsight, Manchester City’s 2019/20 Premier League title defence ended the moment Aymeric Laporte was stretchered off after only 33 minutes of a match against Brighton last September. Liverpool might well have proved too strong for Pep Guardiola’s side over the course of the campaign even with Laporte fit, but the impact of the Frenchman’s absence through injury was profound.
City never looked the same from that point on, with Guardiola’s side only truly recovering their best form towards the end of the season - when Laporte was back in the side. This underlined the need for defensive replenishment at the Etihad Stadium this summer, with Nathan Ake’s arrival from Bournemouth a recognition of this from the decision makers at the club.
According to recent reports, City are still in the market for another central defender, with Kalidou Koulibaly widely believed to be their top target. The Napoli man has long been considered the closest thing to Virgil Van Dijk in the European game and at 29 years old it appears to be now or never if he is to try and make his mark at a ‘super-club.’
Koulibaly would be the replacement for Vincent Kompany that should have arrived last summer following the Belgian’s departure. Koulibaly is rare in that he is a physically imposing centre back who can play with the ball at his feet, much like Kompany was. Last season, for instance, saw the Senegalese international register more average passes per Serie A match (67.4) than any other Napoli player besides Mario Rui (71.3) and Fabian Ruiz (70.6).
One centre back who can better this, however, is Dayot Upamecano. The RB Leipzig defender averaged an incredible 70.1 passes per Bundesliga outing last season, also playing 5.8 long passes per game as well for good measure (Koulibaly played only 4.6 per game). This illustrates how important Upamecano is in his role as a deep-lying quarterback of sorts.
As a left footer who is comfortable with the ball at his feet and bringing the ball out from the back, it’s likely Ake will be used as a deputy for Laporte rather than as a partner for the Frenchman. This leaves a starting spot alongside Laporte up for grabs for a right-footer, which explains why City are seemingly so keen to sign Koulibaly.
READ: Could Man Utd target Koulibaly?
Statistically, however, there is very little between Koulibaly and Upamecano. The two players averaged a similar number of tackles per match last season (2.0 to 1.9) with the RB Leipzig man edging the comparison when it comes to interceptions (1.5 to 1.2). In many ways, Koulibaly and Upamecano are similar in terms of their profile and qualities as defenders.
Of course, the one significant advantage the latter has over the former is his age. While Koulibaly is already close to 30, Upamecano is still only 21 years old. City’s best signings of the Abu Dhabi age have seen them buy big and young to give their team a structure for years to come - see Sergio Aguero and David Silva. Upamecano has the potential to be a central pillar of Manchester City’s team in a similar way, whereas the suspicion with Koulibaly, due to his age, is that he would be a short term solution.
A short term solution might be what City need to catch Liverpool and go the distance in the Champions League, though. But what if Upamecano is already better suited to what Guardiola needs at 21 than Koulibaly is at 29? The Napoli man was exposed by Barcelona’s high pressing game in the Champions League last 16 second leg earlier this month, something City will face on a regular basis. One wonders what Guardiola made of that.
City, who have already spent around £70 million on the signings of Ake and Ferran Torres, need more than just central defenders this summer, with a new left back almost certainly on the shopping list. But last season proved just how crucial it is that Guardiola gets the foundations right before he can start building anything else. There’s a lot riding on City’s choice between Koulibaly and Upamecano.
Odds correct as of 2045 BST on 25/8/20
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