5 Players who could replace Fernandinho at Manchester City
Manchester City veteran Fernandinho will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most under-appreciated midfielders in the Premier League era.
The Brazilian, who is into his eighth campaign at the Etihad Stadium, has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the league since his move from Shakhtar Donetsk. He has played a pivotal role in three Premier League title wins, with a potential fourth on the horizon.
Fernandinho's ability to screen his backline and turn defence into offence with his ability on the ball has made him an indispensable player for Manchester City.
However, with the Cityzens captain set to turn 36 in less than a month, he doesn't have too much left at the highest level. Furthermore, with his contract set to expire in a matter of weeks, it is unclear if the club will extend his stay at the club.
On that note, here are five players Manchester City could target to replace Fernandinho this summer.
#5 Dennis Zakaria | Borussia Monchengladbach
24-year-old Denis Zakaria has been linked with Europe's top clubs for some time now. The Geneva-born midfielder has been mighty impressive for Marco Rose's Borussia Monchengladbach side over the last four years and, with over 100 Bundesliga games under his belt, he has amassed a considerable amount of experience. With Rose set to leave the club, he could be one of many players who could follow the coach out of Borussia Park.
Despite the injury concerns he's faced in recent seasons, Zakaria could prove to be a great option for City as he could complement the other players available at Pep Guardiola's disposal in the middle of the park, such as Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne. Zakaria could also fill in at centre-back if needed.
At 6'2", his athletic frame and physique will add some much-needed presence at the base of midfield. Zakaria is also a talented midfielder on the ball, and has completed 87% of his passes, 82.3% of attempted long balls, and 68.2% of his dribbles this season.
#4 Boubakary Soumare | LOSC Lille
Another player who could be on the move this summer is LOSC Lille's Boubakary Soumare. The talented Frenchman has been linked with a move to England for some time now, with the likes of Manchester United believed to be interested in his services. However, after arguably one of his best campaigns so far for the Ligue 1 club, Soumare could be on the move this summer.
Soumare is another option for Manchester City to take up Fernandinho's role in midfield. The Paris Saint-Germain academy graduate has excelled at recycling possession in the middle and keeping things ticking for the Ligue 1 leaders. His 6.97 progressive passes per 90 make him one of the best in the league in this regard, and he boasts of the third-highest dribble completion rate (88%) in Ligue 1.
Stylistically, he's one of the most similar players in the market to Fernandinho, and at just 22 years of age, Soumare could get even better in the future.
Also read: 5 Transfers that dramatically changed the fortunes of a club