Man City need more reinforcements to maintain their biggest strength this season

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City are coming into the 2023-24 season as the top dogs, not only in England but in Europe. The treble winners are the team to beat and it will take a mammoth effort from the challengers to deny them of winning more trophies this season.

Everyone expected them to reinforce majorly in the summer transfer window despite winning the treble. However, that isn't exactly how things have developed. Mateo Kovacic remains the only acquisition and he is a like-for-like replacement of Ilkay Gundogan who departed the team for FC Barcelona.

Kovacic is a very astute buy. He is only 29 years old, at the peak of his powers and is a serial winner considering he’s been a part of four Champions League and one Europa League triumph for Real Madrid and Chelsea. Kovacic is also three years younger than Gundogan. And forking out nearly €30 million is peanuts considering the quality of the player.

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However, losing Riyad Mahrez is a tough pill to swallow for Guardiola and co. The Algerian had become one of the mainstays in the team and wreaked havoc on the right flank. Links have been made to Michael Olise of Crystal Palace but the London-based club want more than £50 million, especially after losing Wilfried Zaha earlier in the summer.

If a deal cannot be struck for Olise, then Guardiola could be forced to play Bernardo Silva off the right flank. Silva was often deployed through the middle last season and playing him off the right would take away alternative central options. However, the squad is deep and either Phil Foden or Rico Lewis could feature off the right wing. Should push come to shove, even Cole Palmer could be a