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After spending 11-years with Manchester City, captain and star-defender Vincent Kompany will leave the club at the end of this season. Having thrashed Watford in the final of the FA Cup, Manchester City will not play any further games this season and hence, Kompany has already played his last game for the club.
Kompany has been instrumental in the rise of Manchester City in world football and the Belgian has won a number of trophies to show for it. The back-to-back Premier League winners medals could be the high-point of his City career. Although Kompany was not able to achieve Champions League success with the club, it can be said that he had a successful career with Manchester City.
Kompany has had a number of memorable moments with City. In the penultimate Premier League game of this season, Kompany's wonder-strike against Newcastle United which helped his club secure a 1-0 win was instrumental in the team winning the Premier League twice in two years.
It would be a daunting task for Pep Guardiola to replace the Belgian in the squad. Although there is enough talent in the squad to fill the big shoes, Manchester City could still prioritise the signing of a defender this summer.
On that note, here are the 3 best possible candidates to replace Vincent Kompany at Manchester City.
#3 Samuel Umtiti
Samuel Umtiti has suffered from injuries this season, which has reduced his game-time for Barcelona. After his stupendous performance in the World Cup which saw his team go on to lift the trophy, the Frenchman's form has not been great, and the best possible approach for him could be a change of club.
With Kompany's departure, Manchester City needs a natural defender with a good physical presence at the back and Umtiti fits the bill perfectly. His skills are undoubted, and like Kompany, he could be an asset in set-pieces as well.
#2 Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt, Ajax's wonder-kid, astonished everyone with his performances this season. The 19-year-old captained his club all the way to the semifinals of the Champions League, and were all set to enter the final until a Spurs comeback broke their hearts.
The youngster possesses immense skills as a defender and is a natural leader on the field. He is also useful for his goal-scoring abilities and hence, he could just be the perfect candidate to replace Vincent Kompany at Manchester City.
Considering all the competitions in 2018-19, de Ligt has scored 7 goals in 55 appearances, which is a good contribution from a defender. The teenager also holds the record of being the youngest player to captain a team in the knockout stages of the Champions League, apart from being the youngest Dutch player ever to score a goal in a Champions League knockout game.
Although the transfer could be expensive, Manchester City must go all out for this player in the upcoming transfer window.
#1 Kalidou Koulibaly
The Napoli defender has been in exceptional form in the last few seasons, which has helped his team perform well in Serie A. He has similar qualities to that of Vincent Kompany, and if Pep Guardiola sits down to decide on a replacement for the Belgian, Koulibaly definitely has to be a part of that list.
The defender from Senegal has played more than 150 matches for Napoli in the last 5 seasons of Serie A. Although his goal-contribution has been limited to just 10 in the league, the tall defender's ability to play the ball out from the back has led to many goals.
He is compact, good on the ball, and will be an extreme physical advantage for his team. However, Manchester City must beat off competition and high transfer fees if they are to sign this talented defender in the summer.
