Rico Lewis discussed for major Manchester City position change amid transfer uncertainty

Manchester City have discussed the possibility of a major positional change within line-ups for Rico Lewis during the forthcoming season, a new report has suggested.

The 18-year-old is very much at the centre of Pep Guardiola’s first-team plans this season, after breaking into the set-up midway through the last campaign following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Lewis has largely operated as an inverted full-back, dropping into the defensive midfield position alongside Rodri when in possession of the ball, and largely inspiring the likes of John Stones to follow suit to great success.

While clearly being open to learning and developing his understanding of the game, Rico Lewis’ next phase in his Manchester City development could take a significant turn, with a new report suggesting that a major positional change could be on the cards.

According to the information of Sam Lee for The Athletic, it is being discussed within Manchester City whether to utilise Rico Lewis as an attacking midfielder during the upcoming season, if no targets can be found in either that position or out wide.

Should Manchester City fail in their hunt for a Riyad Mahrez replacement this summer, then it is expected that either Bernardo Silva or Phil Foden could operate more often in the wider roles, while Cole Palmer could even be retained despite links away from the club on loan.

As such, Rico Lewis could be required to operate more advanced in the system, and has already been trialled in the role during a pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich last month.

The teenager impressed onlookers throughout the contest, and was at the centre of the build-up for Manchester City’s opening goal in the game, bursting into the penalty area before picking out Julian Alvarez, whose shot ultimately fell to James McAtee to smash home.

McAtee himself is another option under review by Pep Guardiola and Manchester City’s coaching staff this summer, with the England youth international keen to break into the first-team squad after a hugely impressive loan spell at Sheffield United last season.