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Regarded as one of the best midfielders to have played in the Premier League, David Silva will depart Manchester City this summer. The Spaniard joined Manchester City in 2010 and has served them faithfully for a decade. The 34-year old has made more than 400 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 76 goals.
Having announced his departure in June, Silva has given Manchester City ample time to search for a replacement.
Here, we look at five players who can replace David Silva at Manchester City.
#5 Fabian Ruiz - Napoli
One player who has been linked with a move to Manchester City for some time is Fabian Ruiz.
Ruiz joined Napoli after a good spell with boyhood club Real Betis for a fee of €30 million in 2018. He has been everpresent for the Italian side since then, with his creative prowess from midfield a vital asset for the team.
The Spanish international has a keen eye for a forward pass and can also contribute defensively. In a Napoli side that went through a tumultuous phase under then-manager Carlo Ancelotti, Ruiz was one of the few positives on the field.
The 24-year old looks set for a big move at some point within the next two seasons, with Manchester City touted as a possible destination. This season for Napoli, he has made 39 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing five assists.
#4 Phil Foden - Manchester City
An obvious choice. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has often reiterated that Manchester City academy graduate Phil Foden will replace David Silva next season.
Foden's talent is undeniable. Strong technically and confident on the ball, Foden looks set to dominate Manchester City as well as England's midfield for the next decade. An excellent passer as well, Foden has improved a lot under Guardiola, who rates him very highly.
The 20-year old has enjoyed a productive campaign for the Cityzens so far. Despite having the likes of Bernardo Silva, David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne in midfield, Guardiola has entrusted him with a lot of minutes.
In 31 appearances for Manchester City in all competitions this season, he has scored seven goals and provided four assists.
Also Read: Who was the best right-back in the Premier League 2019-20 season?
#3 Thiago - Bayern Munich
One player who Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola knows very well is Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago.
Guardiola has coached the midfielder at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich and was the manager who brought Thiago as his first signing to Germany. The diminutive Spaniard is in a precarious position with the Bundesliga champions. He has refused to sign a new contract and with just one year left in his current deal, he looks set to leave the club at the end of the season.
At 29 years of age, he is not the youngest option. But the Spaniard's quality would add another dimension to the Manchester City midfield.
This season for Bayern Munich, Thiago has made 36 appearances in all competitions with three goals and two assists to his name.
#2 Martin Odegaard - Real Madrid
Martin Odegaard has been in fine form for Real Sociedad this season. Having joined on loan from Real Madrid last summer, the midfielder has been Real Sociedad's best player.
A prodigious talent who made his debut for Norway at the age of 15, Odegaard has always been highly-rated. There were fears during his initial spell at Real Madrid that he would not be able to fulfil his talent.
However, that has not been the case. Odegaard was Vitesse's best player when he played for them a couple of seasons ago and his form has continued in Spain.
There have been some injury issues this season. Despite that, he looks ready to make the step-up. Zinedine Zidane apparently sees him as a replacement for the legendary Luka Modric, who is in the twilight years of his career.
This season, he has made 34 appearances in all competitions for Real Sociedad, with seven goals and six assists to his name.
#1 Houssem Aouar - Lyon
Another player who has been perenially linked with Manchester City for quite some time now. Houssem Aouar is an incredibly talented player and looks set to leave Lyon this summer.
An academy graduate of the Ligue 1 outfit, Aouar has been one of the best players for the club since making his debut in 2017. The France U21 international can play on the left-wing as well, making him a versatile option.
Yet to make his debut for the France national squad, the 22-year old has been linked with moves to Juventus and Manchester City in the past.
This season, in 37 appearances in all competitions for Lyon, Aouar has scored nine goals and provided seven assists.
Also Read: Barcelona Transfer News: Eric Garcia wants to move to the Spanish giants
