Manchester City the midfield undoubtedly becomes a bit of a problem. With Rodri’s injury, options Pep Guardiola has a handful of select players at center, with some having to drop deeper to help in the Spaniard’s absence.
Like Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovačić and Matheus Nunes are the players Guardiola had to rely on in the center of the game. Although he has also had injury problems, Kevin De Bruyne has occasionally played deeper and Bernardo Silva is another player deployed in a deeper role.
There is no doubt that City need to increase their depth in the middle of the park and have been linked with a move for a new midfielder.
Man City midfield target
The player in question here is Bayern Munich and the German international midfielder Joshua Kimmich. The 29-year-old’s contract with the Bundesliga giants expires in the summer and it is not clear whether he will sign a new contract.
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This could open the door for Man City. According to a report by Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germanyit is believed that there is ‘concrete interest’ in the experienced midfielder from the Citizens, who could try to lure him to the Etihad Stadium.
However, they are not the only ones interested in Kimmich at the end of his contract. Fellow Premier League side Liverpool have been linked but are ‘not actively looking for him at the moment’, with Barcelona also in the mix for La Liga. Whether he will leave the club or simply sign a new contract remains to be seen.
Why Kimmich would be a good signing for Man City
There is no doubting the quality Kimmich has and he could certainly improve City’s midfield. Described as a “world class” player. football statistician Statman DaveThe German has featured 28 times in all competitions this term for Bayern, with one goal and seven assists to his name.
His goal was a fine strike, a powerful long-range strike against RB Leipzig in Bayern’s fantastic 5-1 win. That day he also registered an assist, and he was also Bayern’s captain. It was a brilliant day at the office for Kimmich.
The German could be a great replacement for Kovacic in the middle of the park for City. The Croatian star has been disappointing at times this season in Rodri’s absence, despite that plays 24 times and scored four goals.
One of the former Chelsea star’s most frustrating performances this season came in the Champions League in a 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Kovačić received a poor rating of 4/10 by Simon Bajkowski, Manchester City writer for the Manchester Evening News. The journalist explained that “on too many occasions he felt as if he was one touch away from disaster.”
Of course, for a club aiming to win the biggest trophies every season, this is far from ideal for the middle of their midfield. Therefore, signing someone with the quality of Kimmich could be an ideal move for Guardiola. Really, statistical comparison via FBref between this couple it’s pretty sharp.
The Bayern star is a master passer and averages 11.2 progressive passes and 13.2 final third passes per game this season.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
In comparison, Kovačić averages 6.32 progressive passes and 8.03 progressive passes per game. Kimmich is also brilliant on the ball, averaging 6.5 rebounds compared to the Croatian’s 4.47 per game.
|
Kimmich vs Kovacic key stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (90 each) |
Kimmich |
Kovačić |
|
Progressive additions |
11.2 |
6.32 |
|
It goes into the last third |
13.2 |
8.03 |
|
Key passages |
2.56 |
1.58 |
|
Actions to create a shot |
4.89 |
3.10 |
|
Ball recovery |
6.50 |
4.47 |
|
Statistics from FBref |
||
There is no doubt that the iconic German would be a great addition to Kovacic in the midfield for City. Not only would Guardiola’s side add a creative machine to their side, but someone who works hard on the ball and can slot in at right-back.
If the Citizens can land the German on a free at the end of the season, it could be a dream move and the perfect long-term partner for Rodrigo.
