3 days ago
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Manchester City may not have all their options in holding midfield but further forward looks more promising after their summer business
Pep Guardiola was clear this week on where he wants some of his midfielders to play. While Tijjani Reijnders and Ilkay Gundogan may be asked to help out in the holding role while Rodri and Mateo Kovacic are short of fitness when everyone is fit the pair will be asked to be goal threats.
Playing people in their best positions is hardly revolutionary but last season with all of City’s problems it was often a struggle. Gundogan’s reputation understandably dipped as he was asked to play in a more defensive position in a team with rarely two fit centre-backs.
Scoring goals such as the overhead kick at Fulham on the final day of last season is where the German is much more comfortable but his days of covering a deeper position may not be over - especially because of how well Reijnders has started. The Dutch international has had a flying start to his City career, settling quickly into the team and offering something in attack that they didn’t have often enough last year.
It can be easy to read too much into pre-season but the two goals Reijnders scored against Palermo - and the third he should have done - added to the promise he showed at the Club World Cup. City are prepared to add another £12.5m to the £46m they paid AC Milan, with performance-based payments that would effectively confirm their belief that he can be one of the best midfield players in the world.
"We knew that he is a special player arriving into the box. He loves to do that," said Guardiola on Saturday night.
"People in Italy know him perfectly. He scored two goals and he made a fantastic performance like the rest of his mates.
"He can play as a holding midfielder but he loves to arrive to the box to help our strikers like Erling and Omar and anyone who plays there. Really pleased.
"Energy can help but it’s not everything. He played at Milan, in Italy and with Holland so he knows.
If Reijnders is to make good on his remaining potential, it has to be in a more attacking midfield role. City will have to battle through in the No.6 role as they wait for Rodri to regain full fitness, but as much as possible they need to limit their use of Reijnders there because he looks comfortably the best option City have in the role that they badly missed last year.
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