Pep Guardiola has the luxury of possessing one of the best football squads in the world at Man City, and he’s shown time and time again that even if he loses a big star, it rarely has an impact.
Cole Palmer, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez et al have all moved on to pastures new, and yet the Cityzens just keep on doing the business.
It’s a testament to the skill of the club’s recruitment department as much as to Guardiola and his backroom staff.
Pep Guardiola could lose Man City ace to Saudi
Getting the blend of players right is often a thankless task and yet City seem to manage it with ease.
There may come a time of course when the absence of certain players is what tips the balance, and that scenario could be coming to pass before the transfer window closes for business.
That’s because, according to The Guardian (subscription required), Saudi Pro League champions, Al Hilal, are targeting Guardiola’s captain, Kyle Walker.
Despite his advancing years, Walker is still the consummate right-back, and could grace any league in the world.
The evident riches available to those players that make the leap to Saudi Arabia could well be of interest to the 34-year-old, and may possibly go some way to explaining why Guardiola is talking up the candidacy of Joao Cancelo again.
That said, the Portguese international is also part of a three-man right-back shortlist according to The Guardian, and if Barcelona don’t come calling again, it may be that it’s Cancelo that jumps ship to the 68th best league in the world (Team Form).
It’s a fair bet that, now that the season has already started, Guardiola will want as little disruption to his preparations as possible.
If he is to lose either of Walker or Cancelo – or maybe both – there are sure to be contingencies in place.