Move over Nunes: Man City begin work on signing the new Joao Cancelo

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City may be going through a dark time of it late, but they do still have a chance of winning the FA Cup after defeating fellow Premier League outfit AFC Bournemouth last weekend.

With no top-flight title or Champions League in sight, there will likely be a changing of the guard at the Etihad this summer, with faces such as Kevin De Bruyne perhaps leaving the building for some fresh blood to then excite the City masses.

One position that is dire need of refreshing is the right-back spot with new reports suggesting that City have a target in mind to begin such a transformation.

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With Kyle Walker departing on loan to AC Milan in January and academy graduate Rico Lewis not preferred in recent times, signing a new right-back should be one of their top priorities this summer.

Well, according to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey, plenty of top-flight clubs in England, including City are considering an approach for 22-year-old right-back Kiliann Sildillia, as current employers SC Freiburg brace for lots of activity involving their star-man.

Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion are all named as interested parties, but City will hope they can race to the front of the queue for Sildillia’s services shortly, with recent weeks suggesting that Guardiola and Co have been watching the defender’s matches in the Bundesliga intently.

How Sildillia can become Cancelo 2.0

The right-back position in Manchester is lacking in numbers, with Matheus Nunes notably struggling up against Andoni Iraola’s challenging Cherries.

Indeed, Simon Bajkowski, chief Man City writer for MEN, gave Nunes a 4/10 for his showings, stating that he was “abysmal” for the goal.

Therefore, the attack-oriented Sildillia could be the perfect choice in this problem area, with the Frenchman perhaps becoming the faltering team’s next Joao Cancelo down the line.

Cancelo was a beloved figure at the Etihad for many of his successful years donning sky blue, with the expansive Portuguese defender going on to notch up an impressive nine goals and 21 assists from 154 clashes.

Unfortunately, the end of his time in England turned sour, leaving City with a lack of personnel down both the left and right flanks, with Cancelo comfortable in both slots in Guardiola’s XI.

Looking at the table above, the new City target is also capable of being versatile for the cause like Cancelo, with Sildillia lining up all over the pitch for Freiburg from his 102 appearances and counting.

But, it’s clear his most comfortable position is in the right-back area, with six goal contributions coming the Frenchman’s way from 60 contests in this spot on the pitch.

Two of those contributions have come this very campaign in the Bundesliga, with Sildillia managing to solidify himself as a trusty first-team option in Germany for both his attacking prowess and his ability to resiliently defend.

From those 16 clashes, Sildillia has managed to tally up a promising six clean sheets, with 3.3 duels won on average per league outing also matching that of Nunes back in Manchester.

But, Guardiola might be hesitant to stick it out with the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers man, especially if the former FC Metz ace is available, knowing full well that adding in fresh, young bodies defensively can work wonders in the case of rising star Abdukodir Khusanov.

Likewise, Nunes’ natural position isn’t on the right flank, with the attacking energy of Sildillia also potentially gifting City their next “complete” star – as he has been labelled by scout Jacek Kulig – in a similar mould to Cancelo.

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