Man City have wildcard candidate to be newest member of captain's group

Manchester City need a new captain, and will soon vote on Ilkay Gundogan's successor.

Kevin De Bruyne was Gundogan's vice captain last season, and captained the side in his absence. With De Bruyne injured, 'third' captain Kyle Walker has taken the armband and lifted the trophy as City won the Super Cup last month.

Making up the group of five captains last season were Ruben Dias and Rodri, with the remaining four members of the captaincy group expecting to be re-elected when the squad vote.

While all eyes will be on who becomes the next City captain - likely a contest between De Bruyne and Walker - there is also a decision to be made on who becomes the new 'fifth' captain in the squad. There are plenty of good options, but no standout candidate.

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If longevity is a qualifying factor, then John Stones is the second longest-serving player in the dressing room. At 29, he is respected among teammates, and his new midfield brief puts him in the centre of the action. At this stage of his career, a step up into a leadership role could be a natural next step.

Then there is Bernardo Silva, equally in tune with Guardiola's system, likely to start the big games, and clearly popular in the dressing room. He has just signed a new contract until 2026 despite being open to leaving the club in recent summers, so could follow up his new commitment with a vote onto the captain's group.

Other candidates for the fifth captain could be defensive pair Nathan Ake and Manu Akanji. Ake has been at City for three years and been praised by Guardiola for his attitude and application even when not playing. As someone who could represent