Vitor Reis, summer tour, Ibrahim Maza - your Man City questions answered

This week's Q&A takes a look at how defensive plans are shaping up for next season as well as potential arrivals over the summer.

Manchester City have given themselves a chance of doing something very special. Their win over Chelsea on Sunday followed Arsenal's shock home defeat at the hands of Bournemouth to spice up the title race and set up a titanic clash between the top two this Sunday.

Having already claimed the Carabao Cup and with Southampton standing in their way of a fourth straight FA Cup final, City are starting to dream of the Premier League again. With so much going on at the club, we'll be hosting weekly Q&A sessions with our chief City writer Simon Bajkowski.

The day of the week it comes out on may change depending on what City's schedule looks like, but essentially this is your chance to get an answer on anything you want - simply pop your question here at any time of the week and Simon will pick them all up and wrap everything up in one place.

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This week we are looking at some of the potential incomings this season and how the defence could shape up next season with another batch of young players pushing to be part of City's plans. Elliot Anderson remains City's top target for the summer window but there are set to be other moves in both directions.

I'm curious about the extent of our contact with Anderson, including whether an official bid has been made and what the expected transfer fee might be. There has been talk about viewing him as a number 8, so I'm wondering if he is considered purely as a replacement for Bernardo Silva, and if a midfielder like Kovacic were to leave, whether we would sign another midfielder. Lastly, I'd appreciate any updates on our progress in bringing in a new right-back. ddide

What's the update on Elliot Anderson to City? MCFC1894

The update on Elliot Anderson is that there isn't much to update on Elliot Anderson. My colleague Jeremy Cross, the chief sports writer for Reach's national titles, reported last week that City believe they have won the race to sign him and that Anderson wants a move. It feels like the Morgan Gibbs-White deal last season that City lined up, where it isn't to say that it will definitely happen but things are in place before the end of the season. Before then, though, City are trying to win two trophies, and Anderson is trying to keep Forest in the Premier League while also upsetting the odds and attempting to win the Europa League. It is a busy time for both that doesn't need to be interrupted with anything transfer-related.

It is definitely a possibility that City sign two midfielders this summer and there are players that they like; Sandro Tonali is one name that has cropped up who could well be available given Newcastle's position. But it depends on whether City feel like they need another player in that position and what kind of price point they are looking at. Nico Gonzalez will expect to take a heavy chunk of Bernardo Silva's minutes, providing he stays, while Tijjani Reijnders and Phil Foden will also be looking for more.

Add in Rico Lewis if he stays and Nico O'Reilly who can move into midfield and there are lots of options for City. Signing one midfielder is a necessity that is basically set in stone for the window but any more remain up in the air.

How can we improve our defence? I feel like that has been our major concern all season. We’ve lost or tied games we should’ve won but the defence didn’t show up. Thank you, from Chicago! Andrew Gomez

Thanks for the question, Andrew. I must admit it's not the question I expected after three clean sheets in a row against Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, but equally all of those games contained top saves from either James Trafford or Gianluigi Donnarumma. City have been pretty fortunate to have not conceded any goals in the last three games and they will have to be switched on if they are to keep Arsenal out on Sunday.

Strangely, I'd say they've been okay from set-pieces but it has been more in open play that they have been caught out with O'Reilly or Nunes targeted. I'd say City's fortunes now will be more about their attack though. They were sticky in March and Erling Haaland had been struggling but now they've shown they can dominate teams and score multiple goals when they are on top. If the attack is clicking, the defence should take care of itself.

What have you heard about Vitor Reis's future at City? Will he be part of the club's defensive lineup next season? Vladimir

With Guehi and Khusanov being incredible, Gvardiol back soon and Reis doing amazing, why would City not cash out on Dias this summer? Seb

Vitor Reis is a player who impressed enough for City to sign him in January 2025 and his reputation has gone up since then. He has looked really good in a Girona team that has got better and better this season, and he has eyes on returning to Manchester next term and being part of Guardiola's plans. When you consider the players already there though, it isn't a given. Which one of Gvardiol, Dias, Guehi and Khusanov would Reis be starting ahead of at the beginning of the next campaign?

It would be controversial if it were any of them, in which case Reis could decide to be part of the group anyway and force his way into Guardiola's thinking, but equally, having played for a year in Spain's top division, the best option may be to build his reputation that way. William Saliba joined Arsenal as an 18-year-old and spent the first three years of his deal on loan before coming in as a ready-made option at the Emirates, and at 20 Reis has time on his side.

City have plenty of other contenders to fill that fifth spot if it isn't deemed right for Reis. Max Alleyne and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey have both been out on loan this season and would be a greener option for that place in the squad. City had five central defenders this term and still ended up needing to bring back Alleyne from his loan and then sign Marc Guehi in January to be able to survive the season, so quite why they'd want to sell one of their senior defenders and probable captains in Dias is beyond me.

I recently read reports mentioning that Leverkusen's Ibrahim Maza is a transfer target for City. I'm curious to know if he is actually on our shortlist and whether there is a possibility of signing him this summer. Yjj

Hi, you read correctly! Although it may depend on what you view as a target. He is definitely a player that City have watched and like, but the list that that places him on is not short. City have obviously had plenty of success recruiting from the Bundesliga and Maza is an interesting prospect, it is just that City have other priorities for the window so will concentrate on that business and then see what they need and want. Hugo Viana has already shown that he is willing to strike if he feels an opportunity is there so Maza is one to keep an eye on, even if there are many more like him.

When do you expect City to be going on tour and why no announcement yet? Hugo

Hi Simon, I was wondering if you have any insight into this summer’s pre-season tour plans. With many senior players likely to be unavailable due to the World Cup, is the club considering an overseas tour—perhaps to places like Korea or Japan—with a squad made up largely of younger players? Or is it more likely that you’ll opt for a smaller, warm-weather training camp in somewhere like the UAE instead? I’m sure overseas fans like myself are very curious about where the team will be heading for pre-season this summer. TJ Lee

Fans will soon find out about the tour, although it's worth pointing out there is a lot of uncertainty owing to the war in Iran. A warm-weather training camp in the UAE does not sound as appealing as it did before all the bombs started flying around that area of the world. It is likely that nearly everyone in the City squad barring a handful (if that) of senior players will be at the World Cup but I am not expecting a watered-down tour even if City have to push the schedule a bit later and have more from the squad join up for later parts of it. The other big question for the tour is will Guardiola still be in charge to oversee it? You would expect an answer on that in the coming weeks as well.