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#3 Romeo Lavia
Elite holding midfielders are at the heart of Manchester City and Pep Guardiola's philosophy, and the Sky Blues have a gem in the form of Romeo Lavia. The 18-year-old defensive midfielder is a potential successor to Rodri and has captained the club at the U18, U19 and U23 levels.
Lavia is the quintessential Pep Guardiola midfielder, controlling the tempo, offering balance, providing stability and winning the ball back quickly. Club insiders believe Lavia is a remarkably developed player for his age, and he made his first-team debut in September this year, playing 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup.
#2 Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer is seeing more game-time for Manchester City this season and nobody can say he doesn't deserve it. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder scored 19 goals and set up 10 strikes during his time with the club's U23 side. He already has 12 first-team appearances to his name and has scored twice.
Terrific with the ball at his feet and capable of playing down the middle as well as out wide, Palmer continues to benefit from Pep's expert handling of midfielders.
#1 Phil Foden
At 21, Phil Foden is already England and Manchester City's pride and joy. The 'Stockport Iniesta' is a vital part of Pep Guardiola's plans and continues to develop at an astonishing rate.
Known for his clever passing and crafty dribbling, Foden added goalscoring to his arsenal in the 2020-21 season, finding the net 16 times in 50 appearances. He also blossomed into a man for the big occasion, delivering a stunning individual performance against defending champions Liverpool in the previous campaign.
Foden is incredibly versatile and is capable of playing on either flank as well as through the middle. He has 142 appearances for City already under his belt and has started the new campaign brightly, scoring six goals and registering seven assists.
The midfielder is a favorite of Pep Guardiola and is undoubtedly being primed to become the face of Manchester City for the next decade.
