No New Right-Back: City Confident in Current Options
Manchester City have ended their search for a right-back, with the club satisfied that the position is already well covered. Despite previous interest in Chelsea's Malo Gusto, the Blues have decided against pursuing a deal.
According to Bajkowski's report, City had been monitoring the French international, but Chelsea's £75 million asking price proved a stumbling block. The decision to walk away appears straightforward.
Instead, Matheus Nunes will continue as the first-choice right-back, with Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis also capable of filling in when needed. Reis, in particular, is set to stay at the club for next season, having slotted in at right-back during the pre-season friendly against the K-League All-Stars.
That opportunity could be significant for the Brazilian. Playing at right-back offers him a clearer path to regular minutes than simply serving as cover at centre-back.
Enzo Maresca's tactical setup is central to this decision. The head coach typically wants one of his full-backs to invert into midfield, and City have plenty of options to fulfil that role. On the left, Nico O'Reilly, Josko Gvardiol, and potentially Rayan Ait-Nouri can all do the job. On the right, Nunes and Rico Lewis are both capable of stepping inside.
If O'Reilly, in particular, becomes a regular inverted option, Maresca can even deploy a centre-back at right-back. In possession, City revert to a back three, which gives the system added flexibility.
The pre-season friendlies against Inter Milan and the K-League All-Stars have already offered a glimpse of this approach, with Khusanov and Reis sharing duties at right-back. It is an experiment that appears to have convinced the coaching staff that no new signing is necessary.
Whether this faith in the current squad proves justified will become clear once the season begins. For now, City's stance is clear: the right-back position is not a priority.