Manchester City haven’t exactly had the best of seasons, but they’ve got the Champions League to look forward to next term.
Plenty of Manchester City players have stood up over the past few months, helping the club get over the line and finish third in the Premier League table.
In addition, City have been busy strengthening their ranks this season and more signings are likely to follow suit over the coming months.
Admittedly, there haven’t been too many standout candidates for Player of the Season, but a couple of names have been doing the rounds.
Rio Ferdinand has now made his selection and, unlike several other big pundits, he didn’t opt for Omar Marmoush.
Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images
Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images
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Rio Ferdinand picks Josko Gvardiol as his Manchester City player of the season
Peter Crouch and Joe Cole both named Marmoush as their City player of the season for his heroics since joining the club in January.
However, Ferdinand went for a different option, and he didn’t even hesitate – he went for Josko Gvardiol right away.
Ferdinand was asked by TNT Sports who he felt was the standout player for each team in the ‘Big Six’, and Gvardiol was his pick for City.
Elsewhere, his pick for Liverpool was Mohamed Salah, while Manchester United’s least worst player, in his eyes, was Bruno Fernandes.
Moises Caicedo was his pick for Chelsea, Declan Rice was his choice for Arsenal, and Dominic Solanke and Alexander Isak were his selections for Tottenham and Newcastle respectively.
Alan Shearer recently named Gvardiol as his honourable mention at left-back, though he ultimately opted for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.
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Which position Josko Gvardiol could be playing in next season
Gvardiol has been a rock at the back for Man City this season, making 53 appearances in all competitions and shining at centre-back and at left-back.
In addition to this, the 23-year-old has produced at the other end, bagging six goals and two assists.
Although his last game of the season was at left-back, there’s a good chance Pep Guardiola could keep Gvardiol alongside Ruben Dias at centre-back next season.
“There is undeniably a quality to the Gvardiol-Dias partnership that may be hard to beat with any other combination,” wrote Simon Bajkowski.
“Guardiola likes his defenders to be fluid, able to play multiple positions so that he can adapt for whatever opposition they face.
“At the same time, he has not been averse to sticking with the same central partnership if he thinks it is what the team needs.
“Akanji is already back in the matchday squads and the others will look to follow, so there is a good chance the partnership gets broken up before the end of the season.
“What City will have to work out is whether Gvardiol could yet oust his teammates and keep the centre-back role that he looks most comfortable in.”