Pep Guardiola may be in the midst of finding life at Manchester City very difficult at the moment, but one thing to put a smile on his face is the impressive youth setup City currently have.
After much debate with our Manchester City supporting regulars here in the Transfer Tavern, we have come up with the ultimate five-a-side team with players younger than 21.
Under the Spaniard, a number of youth players have been given the chance to prove their worth in the team with 3 already having made their first-team debuts for the club this season.
Guardiola may be struggling to find wins for the Sky Blues at the moment, though not many can doubt his commitment and dedication to ensuring City’s youngsters are given a chance to shine in the first-team.
For the Citizens propping up the bar, that’s very exciting indeed.
With that in mind, here are the best five players our landlord believes make up the ultimate five-a-side team, one that could combat any other team in the country.
Kelechi Iheanacho
The Nigerian forward has been a revelation for Manchester City and despite their deep pockets, Guardiola’s faith in Iheanacho has been so large he refused to buy another striker this summer.
Playing second fiddle to Sergio Aguero is nearly an impossible task to accomplish but Iheanacho is crushing the idea of a bench-warmer as he continues to score regularly for City from so little shots on target.
Brahim Diaz
Remember the name!
Diaz is regarded as the prized asset in Manchester City’s impressive youth academy and our City regulars are excited about Diaz’ prospects.
Guardiola recently handed the Spaniard his debut in a Capital One Cup game against Swansea City and his dashing skills and ability on the ball have seen him likened to Lionel Messi in the Tavern.
Diaz would be the ideal playmaker for any five-a-side team.
Aleix Garcia
Another Spanish midfielder means Garcia perfectly fits in as the holding midfielder in this five-a-side team.
When City signed Garcia from Villarreal in 2015, they landed quite the coup.
Guardiola gave Garcia his debut against Bournemouth in September and his ability on the ball was reminiscent of a certain Xabi Alonso.
He’s the ideal Guardiola player and soon to be a superstar for both club and country.
Tosin Adarabioyo
The young central defender has been at Manchester City since 2008 and recently played a number of games during City’s preseason tour of Germany and Asia.
He’s a large and physical speciesism and completely dominates his opponents at the age of just 19 years-old .
Currently locked in contract talks with the club, Adarabioyo wants to stay at City and is hopeful and agreement can be met between both parties.
Don’t be surprised to see this defender become a future captain under Pep at Manchester City.
Angus Gunn
There maybe a lot of negative talk surrounding Claudio Bravo at the moment, but the Chile’s long-term successor is undeniably Angus Gunn.
The 20-year-old goalkeeper is the son of former Scottish goalkeeper, Bryan, and could be City’s long-term replacement for Bravo.
Gunn’s ability to play the ball from the back combined with his athletic frame make him the ideal candidate for both City and this five-a-side team.
