Manchester City have problems ahead of the Premier League getting back underway in August.
The Manchester club looked much better than the majority of the 24/25 campaign throughout the FIFA Club World Cup; however, that did not stop them from being eliminated by Al-Hilal in the Round of 16, leaving Bernardo Silva frustrated with Man City’s defending in the aftermath.
Controlling transitions was a big problem for City last season, and their most recent match showed that the issue has not been fixed, despite the arrival of new coaches such as Pepijn Lijnders.
Many fans and pundits believe the defence of Pep Guardiola is a worry heading into the new season, with ESPN pundit Steve Nicol believing that two defenders Man City recently signed may never be good enough to play for the Premier League club.
Abdukodir Khusanov in action for Manchester City v Al Ain.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis are not good enough for Man City
As a result of their defensive frailties last season, Man City brought Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis to the Etihad Stadium in January, but both signings did not go to plan for the Manchester club.
Reis has only made four appearances for the Premier League side since his arrival, while Khusanov has struggled at Man City after he was thrown into the deep end straight away by Guardiola.
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Speaking on ESPN FC, Nicol has yet to see the benefits of the two signings, and after watching Man City struggle defensively throughout the Club World Cup, the former Liverpool star has stated that the two young defenders may never be good enough to play for the Manchester club.
“Instead, they’ve gone completely the other way. They’ve gone and they’ve got Nunes at right back, who I would argue is probably worse than Ait-Nouri, and they’ve got Ait-Nouri,” Nicol began on City’s defence.
“But then, to compound the problem, they’ve signed two young defenders who are not good enough and may never be good enough.”
Man City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has faith that Khusanov will be a big hit at the Etihad Stadium, while Ederson thinks Reis can become one of the best defenders in the world.
Both centre-backs are still very young; however, the upcoming campaign will be huge for both players’ development.
Vitor Reis in action for Manchester City v Wydad at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Man City’s plan for Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis
There was a lot of talk around the futures of both Khusanov and Reis ahead of the summer transfer window, as many fans wondered if the duo would be sent out on loan for the 25/26 campaign.
Man City plan to keep both players to provide support for Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, despite Guardiola’s original plan being to loan out Reis.
Player Games Goals Assists Minutes
Abdukodir Khusanov 10 1 0 745
Vitor Reis 4 0 0 226
The Man City careers of Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis so far
This means both stars will not get regular minutes throughout the upcoming season, but on the other hand, it will allow both players more time to learn Guardiola’s ways, while also getting used to the level of the Premier League.
Only time will tell if Man City have made the correct decision on the youngsters, but one thing is certain: it is still too early to write off the defenders, who clearly have talent; otherwise, the Premier League club would not have signed them.