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Guardiola changes its strategy? Don t want Wiltz, buy three more people for 1.500 million, Manchester City only buys it, is it not expensive

9:30am, 9 June 2025【Football】

German talented midfielder Wilz was born last season and won the Bundesliga championship with an unbeaten record under Alonso's leadership. He also won the German Cup and reached the finals in the UEFA Cup, but he lost to Atalanta, the big dark horse in Serie A. Last season, although Leverkusen was all out of the four major players, the German team lost to France 0-2 in the UEFA Nations League and only won the fourth place, but the performance of this talented midfielder is still very good and is definitely not the kind of short-lived player. After Alonso became the coach of Real Madrid, leaving the team this summer window is a foregone conclusion. Among them, Manchester City in the Premier League has previously become his next favorite team, and his 150 million euros worth is completely not a problem for Guardiola.

But now, Manchester City doesn't want to be the sucker anymore and is preparing to share the 150 million euro transfer budget on three young players: 70 million euros to sign Reindes of Milan, 40 million euros to grab Lyon demon star Cherki, and then win Wolves fullback Ait Nuri at a similar price. These signings that seem to be "scrap materials" may start with Guardiola leading the Blue Moon Legion to change its "lifestyle" and only buy the right ones, not expensive ones. Of course, the expensive ones are his own needs, and Guardiola will definitely win it. Anyway, he has a budget of endless signings.

Wilz is undoubtedly one of the hottest attacking midfielders in football today. His passing vision, propulsion ability and creativity are the top-notch. Whether in the German national team or Leverkusen, they are the team's tactical core. But what Guardiola wants is not a "glorious free man", but a pawn that can highly cooperate with the system, accurately place it, and adapt to changes. So in Guardiola's eyes, Wiltz is not rebuilding that perfect puzzle. By comparison, Lyon's Cherki may not be as famous as Werz, but the 21-year-old French midfielder has extraordinary ball-handling skills and dribbling skills. He can get rid of it in a small space, and can flexibly switch between the middle and the wing, which can not only carry the ball but also revitalize the parts. Guardiola has always preferred short midfielders with outstanding skills. From Silva to Gundogan, to Bernardo Silva, Cherki is obviously more in line with Guardiola's appetite.

Manchester City's central axis has always been synonymous with luxury. Currently, the team has many world-class stars such as Haaland, Gvadior, and Rodri. Guardiola knows well that when the "hardware" is powerful enough, his tactical "software" must be more flexible. Especially the attempts of double striker tactics, Haaland + Marmush - although it has achieved some results, it also brings sacrifices at the ball-handling level.

In order to balance the tension between control and attack, Guardiola needs to add stability and technical fulcrum in the connection between the front and midfield. Cherki is this "system adhesive". His cooperation with Rodri is expected to build a new generation of "midfield center" in Manchester City, and the arrival of Reindes is an enhancement of the original midfield hardness and running ability.

If Cherky is the talented technical attack core, then Reindes is the most pragmatic gear in the system. The Dutch international has played extremely high pass success rate and coverage in AC Milan, and is recognized as the "melodder-type midfielder" in Serie A. The reason why Guardiola is willing to spend 70 million euros for him is that he can still maintain the rhythm of shooting under high pressure. He is a silent engineer, the "lubricant" in the system.

As a functional number 8 position, Reindez will not steal the limelight, but he can silently connect Rodri and Cherki to supplement the "breakpoint" during offense and defense conversion. In the scene where Cherky attracts multiple guards, Reindez's insertion and connection are often the key to breaking the deadlock.

In addition to the midfield, Guardiola also plans to upgrade Manchester City's left-back. Ait Nuri's joining is seen as a key step in upgrading Manchester City's wing system. This Wolves' assaulter not only performs stably on the defensive end, but also has strong ball-holding and tactical execution, which is in line with the "side-back midfielder + wingback" hybrid system that Guardiola always likes.

Considering that Manchester City has used more three central defenders recently (3241), Ait Nuri can serve as one of the three central defenders on the left and can also push and assist. This flexible configuration will provide more changes to Guardiola at the tactical level. Especially in some games, such a multi-functional defender is a powerful tool to fight risks when facing high-pressure pressing or countering fast opponents.