RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesOne area of the pitch looks to be rock solid for Manchester City
Putting potential incomings and outgoings to one side, Manchester City do have a strong squad ahead of the 2026-27 season. Enzo Maresca has inherited a squad from Pep Guardiola that has now learned what it takes to win silverware. It is also packed with quality all over the pitch. One area of Enzo Maresca’s squad that looks particularly strong is the defence. There is the potential for Maresca to build a rock-solid defence that typically forms the foundation of successful sides.
Manchester City want for nothing at the back.
Outside of a backup right-back, the Manchester City defence is packed with quality. That begins with Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian goalkeeper remains one of the premier shot-stoppers in football, and if the City defence is breached, Donnarumma’s ability to make vital and match-defining saves is an underappreciated component of City’s defence.
At centre-back, Manchester City look to have every available option covered. Ruben Dias provides the leadership and when he is at his best, he remains one of the elite centre-backs in the Premier League. Abdukodir Khusanov showed last season that he has the potential to become one of the premier defenders in European football. He brings the pace and strength that City need at the back. Josko Gvardiol and Marc Guehi are top-notch defenders and bring their own strengths to the centre-back position.
Manchester City also have Vitor Reis, Stephen Mfuni and Max Alleyne as young centre-backs. The expectation is that Vitor Reis will be the fifth-choice centre-back for Enzo Maresca. However, such is the quality of Alleyne and Mfuni it is expected that they’ll stake their own claim for this role during Manchester City’s preseason tour of Asia.
Matheus Nunes is Manchester City’s incumbent right-back. The Portuguese international is now one of the top right-backs in the Premier League. His value to his team cannot be overlooked. Nico O’Reilly, Josko Gvardiol and Rayan Ait-Nouri all can play the left-back role in contrasting styles. This gives Enzo Maresca a variety of options to consider at that position to round out Manchester City’s defence.
Enzo Maresca’s first-choice defence isn’t easy to pick which is a great issue to have.
With a selection of quality options for Enzo Maresca to utilize, picking Manchester City’s first-choice defence isn’t an easy task. A wide variety of options are covered at centre-back. Perhaps Marc Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov hold the title as City’s preferred centre-back pairing. They were exceptional together during the back end of last season. However, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol could also stake their claim for that title given how good both players are. Khusanov and Gvardiol could work well together, as could Dias and Guehi. It may be a case of Enzo Maresca choosing his centre-backs on a game-by-game basis.
At full-back, Matheus Nunes is Manchester City’s right-back and it remains to be seen if City will sign another one this summer. Nico O’Reilly could remain Manchester City’s preferred left-back, however Josko Gvardiol and Rayan Ait-Nouri will be eager to force their way into that discussion.
Manchester City’s defence is well-stocked with quality throughout its ranks. It has the potential to be a real strength for Enzo Maresca’s side. If Manchester City’s defence can be as strong on the pitch as it looks on paper, it will form a rock-solid foundation for the players further up the pitch to shine.
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