Manchester City‘s squad does not lack much and that has been evident by their impressive trophy haul in recent seasons under Pep Guardiola.
They won the treble in the 2022/23 campaign and followed that up with another Premier League title last season, which means that they are now seeking five in a row next term.
One thing that they do not have in abundance, however, is pace on the flanks since the likes of Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane moved on from The Etihad, with Jeremy Doku currently being the club’s only speedy wide player.
Guardiola could now finally replace Sterling, who joined Chelsea for £50m two years ago, by signing a Champions League winner to add a direct, pacey, option on the right side of his attack in the 2024/25 campaign.,
Man City’s interest in Champions League winner
TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that the Cityzens are the only team with a ‘concrete’ interest in signing Real Madrid forward Rodrygo this summer.
The outlet claimed that the Sky Blues are keen on a deal for the Brazil international as Guardiola believes that he would be an ideal addition to his already-impressive array of attacking options.
TEAMtalk added that the Spanish giants, who won the Champions League last season, would demand a mouth-watering fee of £100m to allow the 23-year-old star to depart.
It remains to be seen, however, whether or not City are prepared to place £100m on the table for the Brazilian wizard to add him to their squad this summer.
If the Premier League champions can get a deal over the line for the right-footed speedster, though, then they could finally replace Sterling on the wing.
Why Rodrygo could be Sterling 2.0
Firstly, Rodrygo is a pacey forward, who was named as one of the fastest players in LaLiga last year due to his ‘electric’ movement, who can offer a direct threat in behind opposition defences.
Whilst the likes of Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva can offer control and ball retention on the flanks, the Real Madrid star can provide something different with his speed, movement, and goalscoring quality.
Alongside his pace and runs in behind, Sterling was a big goal threat for City and ended his career at the club with a return of 131 goals in 339 appearances in all competitions – better than one every three matches on average.
|
23/24 LaLiga |
Rodrygo |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
34 |
|
Goals |
10 |
|
Assists |
5 |
|
Big chances created |
5 |
|
Key passes per game |
1.4 |
As you can see in the table above, Rodrygo hit double figures for goals in La Liga, whereas Grealish, Doku, and Bernardo combined for just 12 Premier League strikes.
The Brazil international, who U23 scout Antonio Mango dubbed “sensational”, has plundered 36 goals in all competitions since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, which speaks to his reliability in front of goal, with 18 goals per season on average.
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The Sky Blues are one of a number of clubs in the running to sign the Euro 2024 star.
Guardiola would be bringing in a fast and direct forward, who can play on either flank or through the middle, and bolster his wing options due to his superior goalscoring quality in comparison to Grealish, Bernardo, and Doku, which is why Rodrygo could be Sterling 2.0.