Man City’s left-back options for 2023/24: Squad members, transfer targets, a homegrown name, and a potential opportunity

Joao Cancelo has now left Manchester City, joining Bayern Munich on a loan deal until the end of the season, with the German club having an option to buy the player for a fee initially set at €70 million.

The move all but signals the end of his time at the Etihad Stadium, following recent reports of a bust-up with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ahead of club’s FA Cup fourth round tie with Arsenal last month.

An indispensable part of multiple domestic title-winning campaigns, the Portuguese defender had seen his game time significantly reduced following the conclusion of the World Cup in Qatar.

That coincided with Pep Guardiola’s opting to play Nathan Ake on the left side of his defence – a decision which certainly paid off against Arsenal in the FA Cup, with the Dutchman scoring the only goal in a 1-0 home victory.

However, the decision from the Club to loan out the 28 year-old raised some question marks over Manchester City’s depth at left back for the remainder of the campaign.

The Club currently have no senior options in that position, while there is also plenty of uncertainty surrounding Sergio Gomez’s readiness to regularly play for a side challenging for titles on all fronts, bar this season’s Carabao Cup.

What does this mean for Manchester City in the future?

Whilst there is still the very slim possibility of Joao Cancelo returning to the side come the end of the season, this is unlikely to be an approach Pep Guardiola will take as a steadfast disciplinarian, if reports of a bust-up between the pair are in fact true.

Nevertheless, there are some options available for Pep Guardiola within the existing Manchester City squad and, come the summer, across the transfer market!

Existing Options

Nathan Ake

A central defender by trade, Nathan Ake has been playing at left-back for large parts of the ongoing season. The pros of having a ball-playing defender like the Dutchman is that he gives you defensive stability.

The 27-year-old is an astute defender, and his passing ability suitably aligns with Pep Guardiola’s style of football. However, there is a trade-off.

Since he has played considerably more in the heart of a defence compared to left-back across the course of his career – 187 times to 61 times – he lacks the offensive acumen that a more traditional, modern-day left back would give this Manchester City side.

Sergio Gomez

The La Masia product has so far struggled for game time since joining Manchester City last summer.

Like Nathan Ake, Gomez has played in a variety of positions throughout his career so far, but his time at RSC Anderlecht was where he really honed in on a set position: left-back.

Across his 49 games for the Belgian side, he featured in the role on 47 occasions. Recording six goals and 15 assists in all competitions from left back, the Spaniard shone before making his move to Manchester City.

At times this season, Sergio Gomez has looked suspect defensively and this will be part of the reason as to why the 22 year-old has not featured as much as he may have liked. However, time is on his side though as he is still a young talent, who certainly has a good delivery on him.

With some work on the training ground to improve the defensive side of his game, the Spain under-21 international could be in Pep Guardiola’s plans for the future, but he may not be ready as of yet.

Rico Lewis

An emerging hot prospect from the Club’s Elite Development Squad (EDS), Rico Lewis has been a regular in Pep Guardiola’s starting line-ups since the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup.

Starring from the right-back role, the 18 year-old defender has certainly impressed when called upon, largely due to his cool, calm, and collected head when on the ball.

Despite not playing left-back in senior football, Lewis has featured there for Manchester City’s EDS, and could be an interesting option for the Club if Pep Guardiola wanted to give him even more game time in the future, whilst also allowing Kyle Walker to play from right-back.

Reported Options

Ben Chilwell

On his day, Ben Chilwell is a talented full-back that ultimately led to Chelsea paying a £50 million fee for the Englishman back in the summer of 2020.

Despite the 26 year-old impressing at Leicester City, he has struggled for consistent game-time at Chelsea due to injury problems – most notably a ruptured cruciate ligament leading to an absence of 43 matches for the London club.

Back in 2020, Manchester City opted not to trigger his release clause, paving the way for Chelsea to secure his signature.

Recent reports, however, have suggested that Pep Guardiola is once again eyeing up a move for the left-back to strengthen his side. Whilst the signing of Ben Chilwell would be a good acquisition, City should be wary of his reliability due to consistent injury problems.

His style of play would however suit Pep Guardiola’s style at the Etihad Stadium. The Englishman is a shrewd passer of the ball, whilst also having good crossing ability, which could potentially enable a certain Erling Haaland to score even more goals.

Theo Hernández

A high-flying full-back that loves to get forward and contribute offensively to great effect, whilst also being good defensively. Theo Hernández is a name that would excite many Manchester City fans with his style of play, as well as already being a big name on the European scene and one of the best left-backs in world football.

In terms of one-on-one defending, the Frenchman is very comfortable. As per FBref, the 25 year-old tackles 74.5% of opposing dribblers, ranking him in the top 7% – which highlights just how solid he is at defending against attacking wingers.

With fantastic dribbling ability – ranked in the top 14% for dribbles completed compared to other full-backs – as well as being a creative outlet for AC Milan, Theo Hernández would add another string to the bow of Pep Guardiola’s side. With this ability, he would be able to hold the width of the left side and dominate the flank both offensively and defensively.

However, the France international would certainly be an expensive option, as AC Milan would hold out for as much money as possible given the fact that he is contracted with the Serie A giants until 2026. If Manchester City want him, then it would take a big bid.

Raphael Guerreiro

Stylistically the most similar option to Joao Cancelo, the Borussia Dortmund man would be a fairly like for like change. In comparison to Theo Hernández, Raphael Guerreiro would certainly be a cheaper option, especially as his contract expires at the end of this season.

Guerreiro offers versatility as well, having featured many times in left midfield and central midfield, so he could be an astute pick up for Manchester City if he was going to be a back-up. For rotation purposes, he could be an option in central midfield if required.

A Homegrown Option

Tyrick Mitchell

An outside shout would be Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell.

He has handled the step up to Premier League football with ease since his first regular season in 2020/21. However, Palace chief Steve Parish may ask for a significant sum of money for their youth academy graduate. But given the fact that he is still young, the 23 year-old could fill the position long term.

Whilst he may not be as adept going forward as some others names mentioned in this article, defensively Mitchell is very good. He has shown his quality on multiple occasions and ranks highly for tackles, blocks and clearances (top 16% minimum) among other full-backs.

If he were to join Manchester City, Tyrick Mitchell would have to develop the attacking side of his game as he would see a lot more of the ball and would not be required to do as much defensive work as he is currently used to under Patrick Vieira.

An Interesting Potential Opportunity

Alphonso Davies

Another big name option for Manchester City would be the Bayern Munich and Canada star.

Joining from Vancouver Whitecaps in the summer of 2018, Alphonso Davies has impressed at the Bavarian club with his ridiculous pace and attacking attributes, as shown by the Canadian’s performance against Barcelona in the Champions League back in 2020.

His contract expires in 2025, and so Manchester City would certainly have to begin the charm offensive now for any potential transfer this summer. This summer, Davies would have two years remaining on his deal and perhaps presents City with a greater opportunity than seasons gone by.

With Joao Cancelo joining Bayern Munich last month, a deal could perhaps be done involving the two players; similar to the deal involving the Portuguese international’s arrival at Manchester City and Danilo going to Juventus.