What is the best midfield mix for Manchester City entering the 25/26 season? | OneFootball

Entering the 25/26 season there will be a different feel to the midfield for Manchester City. Kevin De Bruyne has left the club for Napoli, so for the first time in a decade, a City midfield will not have De Bruyne in it. But looking ahead to next season there is no shortage of quality midfielders for Pep Guardiola to employ. Trying to find what the best midfield mix is for Guardiola to employ is no simple task based on the options he has at his disposal.

The addition of Tijjani Reijnders and Rodri’s return to fitness changes the midfield dynamic for Manchester City.

There are two players at Manchester City who instantly give the midfield a different look. One is a new signing and the other is a player slowly returning to his best after injury. Those players are Tijjani Reijnders and Rodri. Both players give Pep Guardiola a base from which to build a quality midfield unit.

When Rodri returns to full fitness the expectation would be that he and Rodri would be two of the three players Guardiola would employ in midfield. The games of Rodri and Reijnders do appear to complement each other. In Rodri, Manchester City have a Ballon d’Or winner who is arguably the best midfielder in world football. Although, he may not be at his best until midway through the 25/26 season. But that could occur sooner. Against Juventus in Manchester City’s 5-2 win at the FIFA Club World Cup Rodri started and showed that he is still the player he was before injury struck. So the signs are there that Rodri will once again become the pillar of Manchester City’s midfield.

Tijjani Reijnders, as a player, looks to have a game that is suited to playing alongside Rodri. His ability to get forward from midfield with his box-crashing runs could be a lethal weapon for Manchester City to utilise next season. Also, until Rodri is back to full fitness, Reijnders is set to have a key role to play. If Rodri and Reijnders are the key pillars of Manchester City’s midfield who joins them in midfield is one major point of interest.

The third player in Manchester City’s best midfield could be one of several players.

Where it becomes interesting is who would play with Rodri and Reijnders in Manchester City’s midfield. It would almost be a given that Bernardo Silva will have a midfield role to play next season. Bernardo is Manchester City’s captain for next season so he will likely play the majority of matches for City next season. But there are two players who could add creativity to City’s play.

Playing Phil Foden or Rayan Cherki in midfield would give Manchester City the creativity they lacked at times last season. Both players are two of City’s most creative players and they could be key in City unlocking their opponents. There is also the idea of playing both players with one on the right wing and the other as a number ten and interchanging roles over 90 minutes. That would be a nightmare for Manchester City’s opponents to contend with.

Mateo Kovacic, Nico and Ilkay Gundogan all will have a role to play in Manchester City’s midfield. Each player brings their own strengths and weapons to City’s midfield. In a season where Manchester City will figure to play a host of games in all competitions once again all three players will have to do their share of work in midfield. Whether or not that’s giving Rodri or Reijnders the rest they need to or playing alongside the pair. There will also be games where those three players will have to start as a trio.

Manchester City do have the makings of a quality midfield next season. There is quality in the options at Pep Guardiola’s disposal and also legs that were lacking last season. For me, Rodri, Reijnders and one of Foden or Cherki would be the ideal midfield mix. But all of Nico, Gundogan or Kovacic will also have prominent roles to play. Or perhaps Rico Lewis will also finally become a midfielder. There is no shortage of options for Pep Guardiola to utilise in the engine room next season.