When Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany limped out of the 1-0 Champions League semifinal second-leg defeat to Real Madrid after just eight minutes, his wave of appreciation toward the travelling fans could have carried more weight than initially thought.
Of course, the Belgian was always going to remain positive about his body letting him down again — ahead of that match, he’d said that while people talk about his injuries, he talks about his comebacks. However, it’s difficult not to consider the captain’s long-term future at the club, as setbacks for the centre-back appear to be almost as sure as night following day at this point in his career.
There are no questions as to whether the defender is still good enough to perform at the top level. Given City’s near calamitous displays without Kompany in the team in the last campaign, it’s pretty clear that he’s a crucial component in the back-line. However, that’s no good to the club if he’s available for less than half of the season.
The club is about to embark on a brand new era. There’s an exciting new manager, as Pep Guardiola replaces Manuel Pellegrini, and the squad is likely to be freshened up considerably after underperforming for the last two seasons. There will even be a brand new badge stitched onto the kit for 2016-17.
Under Guardiola, there is likely to be a reshuffling in the back four in a bid to solidify a rear-guard that was more than a little porous. The big question for the incoming boss is whether he can trust that Kompany’s fitness issues will ever be behind him. Even if he can’t, few will argue the Belgian should be sold, but the elephant in the room will still need addressing.
City have long been linked with Everton’s John Stones and Athletic Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte. Signing either would be a firm action to shore things up the back. That also doesn’t address what happens to the returning Jason Denayer, as the youngster finishes a second season-long loan away from the Etihad.
Having been with Celtic and winning the Scottish Young Player of the Season award for 2014-15 and then having spent the entirety of the campaign with Galatasaray, it’s make-or-break time for the young defender.
It had seemed he was due to link up with City’s first-team squad for 2015-16, but the last-minute arrival of Nicolas Otamendi meant the youngster was sent out on another loan. If he’s not considered for Guardiola’s first-team squad, chances are he’ll be looking to move somewhere else — but for good, this time.
Ultimately, his future at the Etihad might be decided by how well he plays for Belgium in the upcoming Euro 2016 tournament, where he may be deployed more as a right-back. Perhaps that could be where he fits with City, too.
Another option to consider is that there could be something to work with in the defenders that are already at the club. Both Otamendi and the much-ridiculed Eliaquim Mangala have had their flaws — occasionally pretty big flaws too — but they have both shown signs that they could be moulded into more solid and dependable centre-backs.
At one time or another, every single defender at City went through a difficult patch while Pellegrini was in the dugout. Perhaps that shakiness comes more from the Chilean’s desired style of play and coaching methods than their own inadequacies, and Guardiola might just be able to work better with the tools already at his disposal.
City fans will remember that Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng was next to useless during his season under Roberto Mancini at the Etihad, yet under Guardiola he turned into an excellent ball-playing centre-half. Indeed, he himself claims that the Spanish coach taught him how to defend properly.
Newspapers and fans often make attacking players the focus when it comes to transfer targets, but perhaps City’s most interesting squad changes will come at the heart of their defence.
With Martin Demichelis expected to depart this summer, it may be that a returning Denayer is all the club needs for Guardiola to create a competitive unit. While Kompany can’t be relied upon for his fitness, there would be three other players fighting to partner him when he is available and to replace him when he’s not.
Would any incoming player — or any of the defenders that are currently in place at Eastlands — want to be one of five competing for two positions? That seems unlikely.
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