Fernandinho has been an important Manchester City player under the tutelage of Josep Guardiola for the past three years. However, City had to find a substitute for the 33-year-old midfielder if the person left.
City failed to bring Jorginho in the summer. That made City have to pay for this mistake this season because they could do nothing without Fernandinho.
The other positions in the City squad currently have many outstanding substitutes. However, that did not happen with Fernandinho
Fernandinho’s career at the Etihad Stadium is unlikely to last much longer. There are times when the player leaves the starting XI and is replaced by another player.
Here are three players who can replace Fernandinho at Manchester City as reported by Football Transfer Tavern.
Declan Rice
Under Manuel Pellegrini, Declan Rice has shown he has calm on the ball and a work ethic for playing under Guardiola. At a very young age, Rice was able to learn and develop under the guidance of Fernandinho before becoming the club’s first choice during the next decade.
Rice has also proven its quality in the Premier League so there is no need to adapt to the league anymore. However, the Englishman has just signed a five and a half year contract at the London Stadium so City have to spend a lot of money on the young player.
Nglolo Kante
With two Premier League titles in a row at two different clubs, N’Golo Kante certainly knows how to play the role of a defensive midfielder. Even so, his current manager Maurizio Sarri instead shifted him to a more attacking position to give Jorginho a place.
The results were mediocre and sometimes embarrassing, so City had to hijack the World Cup champion and make it a substitute for Fernandinho. His age and reputation in the Premier League made Guardiola have to bring the player to the Etihad Stadium.
Phillipine Sandler
Substitute Fernandinho may have been around Guardiola on the Etihad Campus in the form of Dutchman Phillipe Sandler. The 21-year-old was signed by Dutch club PEC Zwolle for 2.5 million pounds in the summer but missed a pre-season tour to America due to injury.
He played as a central defender at Ajax when he emerged from the academy but played in midfield for his last club and on his debut for City against Rotherham last month. If Sandler can learn from Fernandinho at the training ground and more often enter the first team, it can save City tens of millions in the long run.
