Pep Guardiola has big decisions to make ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Last time around was a disaster for the legendary coach as Man City went from winning four Premier League titles in a row to needing to secure a place in the Champions League on the final day of the season, one that also ended without the Manchester club winning a trophy.
Guardiola entered the summer transfer window with the intention of signing four to five new players, and having already achieved this, the new stars will not fix all of the problems the City boss has at the Etihad Stadium.
Man City’s FIFA Club World Cup exit to Al-Hilal highlighted many issues the Premier League giants have, with Bernardo Silva frustrated with his team’s inability to defend transitions in the aftermath of the contest.
The performances of some individuals will also be a worry to Guardiola, and ESPN pundit Steve Nicol thinks the legs of one key man have already gone, despite the star being only 28.
Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland, Josko Gvardiol and Rayan Ait-Nouri during Manchester City v Al-Hilal.
Photo by Elsa – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Steve Nicol thinks Ruben Dias’ legs have gone
Despite a strong end to the 24/25 campaign, Ruben Dias has struggled at the FIFA Club World Cup, which has raised plenty of questions about the Portuguese star.
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When speaking about Man City’s defensive issues, Nicol pinpointed the 28-year-old as a problem for Guardiola, with the pundit stating that the centre-back’s legs have already gone.
“But they still have the same squad, and Ake and Dias, and Dias at one time was fantastic, player of the year, but he doesn’t have the legs anymore,” Nicol said on ESPN FC.
“Ake’s never fit, Gvardiol has now been moved back inside, and Akanji has kind of lost confidence. So, I mean, they’ve just totally disregarded the defensive side of the game. That’s what it looks like.”
Man City plan on offering Dias a new contract, a decision that has the Manchester club’s fanbase divided, as it has become clear that the defender is in decline.
There were also calls for Guardiola to drop Dias after his Al-Hilal performance, and it will be interesting to see if the Man City boss makes that decision at some point during the upcoming season.
Pep Guardiola needs to start trusting Abdukodir Khusanov
Abdukodir Khusanov struggled at Man City throughout the start of the year for a multitude of reasons after Guardiola threw him into the deep end upon his arrival from RC Lens.
If Dias continues to struggle in a sky blue shirt, the 25/26 campaign could provide the 21-year-old star with the chance to establish himself as a starter at the Manchester club, as the Uzbekistan international will remain at the Etihad Stadium to provide cover for the Portuguese star and Josko Gvardiol.
Khusanov is undoubtedly a top talent and simply needs Guardiola to trust him.
The youngster is being developed to be Dias’s replacement at Man City, and if the Portuguese star doesn’t improve, that may come sooner than expected.