The Man City fans in the Transfer Tavern are loving life under Pep Guardiola as they sit unbeaten atop of the Premier League table after nine matches.
A 1-1 draw with ten-men against struggling Everton is the only time the Citizens have failed to win across all competitions in an otherwise faultless start to the campaign that sees them at the summit of their Champions League group also. Guardiola required time to implement his methodology and assemble a squad capable of delivering the level of performance his side are demonstrating now but it appears his trophyless first year at Eastlands will not be repeated.
Defensively they have improved tremendously with John Stones beginning to fulfil the potential and Kyle Walker adding greater athleticism to their backline. Meanwhile, their attack has flourished with Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling all regularly on the scoresheet and contributing to a thirty-two-goal haul in the league so far. And the influence of Kevin De Bruyne in midfield has also been essential with the Belgium international reportedly nearing a new contract at the Etihad, according to Goal, amid interest from French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
And with that in mind, here are 2 other players that should commit their long-term future to the Sky Blues…
Sergio Aguero
Argentinian sensation Sergio Aguero is among several notable City players- Vincent Kompany’s and David Silva’s deals also expire in July 2018- whose contracts run out next year, according to Transfer Markt. And having equalled Eric Brook’s record of 177 goals in a sky blue shirt in the 3-0 win over Burnley on Saturday, it seems unthinkable that the former Atletico Madrid could leave the club where he has starred for so many years.
His movement in the penalty box is as disruptive and disconcerting for defenders as any other centre-forward in world football and his composure when faced with the challenge of beating a goalkeeper also makes him remarkably potent. He has failed to score at least twenty goals in all competitions during a season just once and has fired in more than thirty in three separate campaigns in six years in Manchester.
Therefore, whilst Jesus is a magnificent talent and is prolific in his own right, replacing the regular goal output of Aguero is a difficult task so the club need to retain his services.
Fernandinho
Another individual with less than a year remaining on his current deal and, although Kompany and Silva hold a legendary status at Man City, Fernandinho is a more understated but equally pivotal component of Guardiola’s machine for the experience he provides.
In a team brimming with flamboyant, offensive players that operate in an incredibly fluid system, the role Fernandinho occupies sees him shield the back-four with tremendous poise and intelligence. He’s the midfielder who senses danger and negates the threat of attackers seeking to exert an influence in the space between the Brazilian and the defence, which allows City’s offensive play with the assurance that there’s the necessary cover behind them should they lose possession.
In addition to that, the former Shakhtar Donetsk man has captained both his national and club sides on numerous occasions demonstrating his leadership qualities that add to the control he exhibits during a match.
