Where will two young Manchester City players fit into Pep Guardiola’s squad for next season? | OneFootball

With the first stage of the summer transfer window open, the focus of attention is on who Manchester City will sign this summer. It would seem that it is only a matter of time before Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri and AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders are confirmed as City players. But looking ahead to next season, there are a host of players whose roles in Pep Guardiola’s squad do not appear to be defined. Two such players are Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly. Where they fit into Pep Guardiola’s squad for next season is an interesting topic to investigate.

Rico Lewis should play in midfield for Manchester City next season.

Throughout last season, we saw Rico Lewis typically deployed at right-back by Pep Guardiola. After Kyle Walker left Manchester City in January, Lewis and Matheus Nunes shared the right-back duties for the second half of last season. By the end of the season, Matheus Nunes became Manchester City’s first-choice right-back. Looking at where Rico Lewis should play next season, he appears destined to play in midfield. His apprenticeship at right-back should now be over.

When Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest 2-nil in their FA Cup semi-final clash at Wembley, Rico Lewis started in midfield. He scored Manchester City’s opener, and his performance at Wembley was his best for the 24/25 season. On that particular day, Lewis’s ability to play in tight spaces and the pockets was key to Manchester City’s win. Those attributes have always been a strength of Lewis’s game. He came up as a midfielder in Manchester City’s academy system. He has always seemed destined to one day become a midfielder in Pep Guardiola’s squad. That is likely the role he will play next season for Manchester City.

Nico O’Reilly will likely continue his apprenticeship as a City player at left-back.

The rise of Nico O’Reilly throughout the second half of the 24/25 season was a bright spot for Manchester City. He played a key role in Manchester City’s run to the FA Cup final and helped his team secure Champions League football for next season. O’Reilly’s ability to get forward from the left-back position and score crucial goals was pivotal to Manchester City’s play. It must be said that Nico O’Reilly is an attacking midfielder by trade. But looking ahead to next season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him play at left-back again for Pep Guardiola’s side.

With Rayan Ait-Nouri on his way to the Etihad, there is a role for a backup left-back in the Manchester City squad. Given that the full-backs look set to play a pivotal role in Manchester City’s attacking play next season. That appears to be where Nico O’Reilly will fit into the Manchester City squad for next season. Especially when you consider how many midfield options Pep Guardiola is likely to have next season. It just doesn’t seem that there will be room for Nico O’Reilly to permanently move into midfield just yet, so another season learning his craft at left-back may await him during the 25/26 season.

Summary.

Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly do look set to have crucial roles in the Manchester City squad for next season. Where they fit into Pep Guardiola’s squad seems to be a bigger question with the pair. But for me, Rico Lewis looks set to finally make his permanent move into midfield. That’s where he has always seemed destined to play for Manchester City. As for Nico O’Reilly, he may have to spend another season serving his apprenticeship at left-back as he bids to build upon a promising debut season for Manchester City.