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Manchester City is a club which is at the summit of English football at the moment. They're fresh off winning the domestic treble last season - clinching the league by a single point against Liverpool, defeating Chelsea on penalties in the league cup final, and thumped Watford 6-0 in the F.A. cup final.
In the second part of the season, they almost seemed invincible. A loss against Tottenham in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal was the only low point, but Guardiola knows there are cracks in this team.
At a certain point in late December, City were 7 points behind Liverpool, and the league seemed almost lost. Only a win at the Etihad against the Reds helped the Citizens reduce the gap back to 4 points.
Guardiola knows that if not for some silly mistakes by Liverpool, City would not have retained the league and by looking at Jurgen Klopp's track record he does not seem to be a man who continues to make the same mistakes again and again.
Manchester City should realize fast that unlike Riyad Mahrez last year, they cannot afford to make just one signing and hope to retain the league. Liverpool is looking to come back stronger and more hungry than ever to have another go at the league title which they came so agonizingly close to winning last year.
One cannot rule out Tottenham Hotspur as Mauricio Pochettino is likely to be backed heavily by the board after a wonderous run to the Champions League final. It looks like they might have a war chest to spend this season and if they end up retaining their stars like Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son, they have more than a good chance to have a crack at the title too.
Guardiola should know that his squad is not perfect and they might find themselves in trouble if they take it casually and refrain from making any signings.
Here we take a look at potential signings in various positions which City can make to improve their squad to compete on all fronts (again) next season.
Centre Back - Harry Maguire
With Vincent Kompany already having left City after the end of the 2018-19 season, City seems to have a shortage of vocal leaders on the pitch. With Nicolas Otamendi looking likely to leave the club due to lack of playing time, it reduces the number of senior center halves at the club to Aymeric Laporte and John Stones.
Fernandinho can drop in to play in that position, but he is not a natural center back, and Eliaquim Mangala is not trusted by Guardiola to start a match for City.
Harry Maguire seems to be a good signing for the Citizens at this stage. He is one of the best English center-halves around, and he is regular for his country at the international stage. A strong and powerful center half, his heading ability is on par with the best in the game.
Missing a combined total of 7 matches in the premier league over two years, his track record with injuries is far better than Kompany's, and City can rely on him to be the rock of their backline for the course of an entire season.
Guardiola's trust in John Stones seems to be running thin as the former Everton man does not seem to make the right decisions in dangerous moments. While Maguire's passing range is on a lesser level than that of Stones', he is capable of making the right decisions under pressure and can start in this City side.
Laporte and Maguire can form the perfect partnership for City at the back for years to come.
Left Back - Ben Chilwell
Benjamin Mendy was brought in by City two years ago to replace the outgoing Aleksander Kolarov and has not lived up to his expectations.
A world-class talent in his time at Monaco, he has only been capable of producing rare sparks of magic on the left side of the pitch. There has been no consistency from him for over two years. Also, injuries have disrupted his playing time as he has been able to play only 22 matches overall for the CItizens in two years.
Ben Chilwell seems too be the best man for the job for City in this position. Like his teammate Maguire, Manchester City seems to be the best place to hone his skills and move on another level as Leicester are not competing for any trophies right now.
He was touted to be the next Liverpool left-back before they went for Robertson, which shows that big clubs have already seen him as an ideal signing and the best club in the land might be the best place for him to end up.
Ben Chilwell is as good as Benjamin Mendy as a left-back, and he is generally a quieter person on social media than the Frenchman, an issue which Guardiola is reportedly upset with the Frenchman.
Also, Mendy is more of an attacking left-back; his time at Monaco two years ago being proof of it and has a capability of leaving gaps behind which leaves Laporte in 1v1 situations with opposition wide players. Ben Chilwell, on the other hand, is more sound defensively and can stop Pep's team from leaking goals which can probably happen if Mendy plays.
Defensive Midfielder - Rodrigo Hernandez
Manchester City is very light in their defensive midfield options. Fernandinho has been playing there ever since Guardiola came in, and it seems he has complete trust in the Brazilian. He has been one of the most underrated players in the league for the past couple of years.
Whenever he is not playing, City seems to struggle. Gundogan fills in for him whenever he is out but is not able to replicate the Brazilian's success in that role as the German is more of a box-to-box midfielder. He rushes forward when he gets the chance which leaves spaces for opposition attackers to exploit.
Rodri Hernandez from Atletico Madrid looks destined to be the next anchorman for City after Fernandinho.
Signed by the Rojiblancos from Villareal only a year ago, he didn't take much time to find his feet at his new club. 4 games was all he missed for Diego Simeone's side in the league all season. He filled the shoes of their former captain Gabi who had departed just the year before last.
He was debatably the best signing Atletico Madrid made last year.
Rodri is taller, stronger, and quicker than the aging Brazilian. Although he might not yet be as tactically astute as Fernandinho is for Manchester City now, he currently plays under a Diego Simeone, a manager who needs a shield in front of the back four all the time - a role which he has excelled in this year.
He might find it difficult to adjust to the English game initially, but in time he can be the heir to Fernandinho and due to his physical attributes. Rodri can be part of a young and new-look city midfield in a couple of years along with Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and the other luxurious options City have at their disposal.
