Man City have an outstanding candidate to be their next captain - and they already know it

Ruben Dias was added to Manchester City's leadership group just one year after his arrival at the Etihad and captained the club for the first time a few weeks later, in a 6-3 win against RB Leipzig in the Champions League.

This season, he will be part of that leadership group again, for the fifth year running, but again, his time as captain on the field might be sporadic. Bernardo Silva is the latest to be named club skipper, with Pep Guardiola taking charge of leadership decisions this season.

Dias' time must surely be coming, however. The news that City want to extend his contract, which expires in two years, signals that his long-term future is in Manchester. When Silva doesn't start, it is likely to be his Portuguese teammate who leads the team out.

Nobody doubts the 28-year-old centre-back's leadership credentials, and he is more of a guaranteed starter than Silva. He captained youth teams at Benfica and Portugal at age-group levels, and if anything, it is a surprise he has reached this stage in his career without being named a club captain.

But competition for that role at City is fierce, and in recent years, captains have tended to do the job towards the end of their time at the club.

Since Vincent Kompany's eight-year stint as skipper came to an end in 2019, there have been a series of relatively short-term appointments. David Silva did it for one season, and then Fernandinho another two before they left the club.

Ilkay Gundogan then did one year before he moved to Barcelona. Kyle Walker was his replacement but he lasted 18 months before an acrimonious departure to AC Milan. Kevin De Bruyne stepped into the breach but did just half a season before his own emotional farewell last summer.

Kevin de Bruyne is one of