Man City are currently preparing for their opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Premier League outfit will take on Moroccan side Wydad AC on Wednesday as part of Group G, which also contains Al Ain and Juventus.
Major changes have taken place in the build-up to this game as Pep Guardiola wanted four to five new faces in his squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, and the Manchester club have already reached that target.
Hugo Viana is not finished recruiting, as Man City are keen on signing a right-back this summer, to replace the outgoing Kyle Walker; however, the City director has not made significant progress on his search.
Guardiola already knows Matheus Nunes will be Man City’s right-back for the FIFA Club World Cup, but the Spanish coach should consider another option.
Rico Lewis in action during Nottingham Forest v Manchester City.
Photo by Cameron Smith – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Rico Lewis needs to start at the Club World Cup for Man City
Rico Lewis burst onto the scene during the 2022/23 campaign, leading to Guardiola stating that the youngster was one of the best players he has ever trained.
More Man City News
“Very good huh? What a player – 18 years-old. I have been a manager for 14-15 years, training unbelievable players. To find a player like him playing in the pockets, how he has to move in the holding midfield, moving the spaces, he is one of the best I ever trained by far,” Guardiola told the BBC.
Like many of Man City’s stars, Lewis struggled last season and had to watch his preferred right-back position be occupied by Nunes, who is naturally a midfielder.
This would have hurt the 20-year-old, but a new season brings new possibilities and challenges, and the Englishman will want to use this summer to set the foundations of making the position his for the 2025/26 campaign, given all the uncertainties around the role.
Rico Lewis playing against Wolves for Man City.
Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
It was recently reported that Viana is struggling to find Man City a new right-back; therefore, Lewis could save the Manchester club millions if he can step up at the Club World Cup.
Guardiola heaped praise on Lewis after Man City’s FA Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest, which shows that the legendary coach still has faith in the full-back. Now the 54-year-old needs to trust the young defender again.
Nunes is not the long-term solution at right-back for Man City; therefore, there is a lot to gain and not much to lose by starting Lewis in the role throughout the Club World Cup, as preparing for the 2025/26 campaign is more important than winning the revamped competition.
How Rico Lewis compares to Matheus Nunes
Lewis began the 2024/25 campaign as Guardiola’s preferred choice at right-back, only for Nunes to take over the role in January as he looked for solutions to City’s poor form, and the Portuguese star kept it locked down with some impressive performances throughout the second half of the season.
The metrics between the two players are slightly affected by Nunes playing in midfield for part of the season, but with Lewis often dropping into the middle of the park, that somewhat evens the playing field.
Metric Rico Lewis Matheus Nunes
Games 28 26
Goals 1 1
Assists 2 6
Shots (on target) 10 (2) 9 (4)
Pass accuracy 91.4% 88.8%
Successful dribbles 9 19
Touches in the opposition box 49 65
Chances created 7 23
Interceptions 13 15
Recoveries 95 70
Dribbled past 8 22
Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes’ 24/25 Premier League stats
The stats show that there is not much difference between Lewis and Nunes last season, which highlights that Guardiola would not be taking that big a risk by starting the 20-year-old at the Club World Cup.
This summer could be a huge one in the career of the Man City academy graduate; he now needs his manager to have some faith in his ability to deliver what he wants.