I have an idea here that may be kinda left field for DM cover and the option to replace Dinho. Firstly, I do clarify that IMO, FDJ was a miss. Jorginho might have been great had he turned up to be coached under Pep. Fred is just NO. Plays too similarly to an early Dinho and may be more 50-50 if he will actually turn out the same. Because Dinho's role is actually more brains than brawn. It requires a tactically astute mind to play there.
So, back to the options around. There have been a plethora of names linked to City. Setting pricing aside, there are many names alot of us will take in a heartbeat. In truth, I think it is down to a matter of how well and how much the new player can actually replicate Dinho's current duties and playing style. In my humble opinion, I am not rooting for Neves and Ndombele, or even our own Gundogan. All three are probably better off closer to the box. This makes Aouar and Rice better bets. But they are still not my first choice. And in the process, I thought of the probably impossible-to-attain Verratti. But recent City has a habit of not bombing over a self-imposed transfer fee cap for players.
Going full circle, I returned to one name. That is Matthijs De Ligt. Yes, I am well aware he plays CB for Ajax. But I am also aware he is a modern ball-playing CB, packed with leadership qualities at a young age and has been trained in Ajax's academy, that plays a similar ethos of football to Barca or City. And to add, FDJ did start out at CB as well. De Ligt is defensively-sound, an attribute that is low-key important to the Dinho role. Off the ball, Dinho is not just about winning the ball back but also about transitioning from defending to attacking, starting from him. When threatened, Dinho makes tactical decisions to halt the opponent's counterattacks. Many will expect a Guardiola DM to be more of ball retention but I will point out that Dinho contributes way more than that. Whenever Gundogan is stuck into that role, he lacks the defensive nous of Dinho and hence, is always an element missing from being able to fully replicate Dinho's duties. I will not go deeper into the other obvious qualities of De Ligt.
I thank you for reading my humble analysis thus far. I am no expert. This is merely my speculation. And of course, what I presume will be an ideal scenario for the DM situation. I have a feeling City is gearing up to put in a stronger approach for De Ligt and seems more interested in him than FDJ. Again, pure speculation from me. Alternatively, in all honesty, getting Sebastian Rudy in on the short-term gives City a longer time to find more suitable targets and evaluate the younger players further. And that, for me, is the next best move if my De Ligt fantasy does not come to fruition.
Just to point out, I will not go as far as to call myself a fan. But I do really enjoy Pep's football, his brilliant tactical mind and watching City unfold on the pitch. They are, IMO, the best team I have watched in the Prem, ever since I started watching football. I am enjoying looking at the City project prosper and will just like to share some of my opinions here. Thank you.
