Manchester City Are Set To Rival Aston Villa For This Ligue 1 Left-Back: Should Pep Bring Him On Board? | OneFootball

In a recent report on Patreon, journalist Alan Nixon revealed that Manchester City are set to rival Aston Villa for Stade Brestois left-back Bradley Locko. It has been stated that the Mancunian club are eyeing a move to bring the French defender to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Locko is having a decent campaign at the French club as he has put in a series of impressive displays for them on the left flank. The 22-year-old has picked up three assists in 35 appearances for Brest this season across various competitions.

The French defensive ace has given a good account of himself by averaging 2.9 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 1.7 clearances, 0.7 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per 90 minutes in Ligue 1. He has even distributed possession relatively well from the left wing after making 85.5% of his attempted passes in the French first division (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at the French club will run out in the summer of 2027. Hence, it won’t be easy for Man City to get a deal done for him on the cheap at the end of this season.

Reims’ Ivorian defender #24 Emmanuel Agbadou fights for the ball against Brest’s French defender #02 Bradley Locko during the French L1 football match between Stade Brestois 29 (Brest) and Stade de Reims at Stade Francis-Le Ble in Brest, western France on May 10, 2024. (Photo by FRED TANNEAU / AFP)

Should Manchester City Boss Pep Guardiola Bring Locko On Board?

Locko loves a tackle and can make some important interceptions for his team when defending inside his half. He doesn’t mind clearing the danger when required and has got the vision to create some decent chances for others around him from the left flank.

The French sensation is a good dribbler with the ball as well. However, he might struggle to adapt to the physicality and high intensity of Premier League football if Man City manage to snap him up later this year.

At 22, there is a lot of room for improvement in Locko’s game, so Man City boss Pep Guardiola might fancy getting the best out of him in the coming years. He would no doubt enhance the quality of the Mancunian club‘s squad. Thus, it makes sense for Man City to try and bring Locko on board when the transfer window commences at the end of this campaign. He is good enough to help Guardiola’s side compete for even more major trophies in the future.