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Replacing Kevin De Bruyne poses an immense challenge for Manchester City. The iconic Belgian midfielder is not just a world-class player but also the heartbeat of the team's midfield. De Bruyne's exceptional vision, creativity and ability to orchestrate play have been instrumental in City's success under Pep Guardiola.
His capacity to deliver pinpoint passes and chip in with crucial goals is unparalleled. Finding a player who can match his skill set and influence on the pitch will be a huge task.
Moreover, De Bruyne's on-field intelligence and leadership qualities make him irreplaceable in the locker room as well. However, having turned 32 earlier this summer, De Bruyne seems to have gotten a bit more injury prone and it looks like it won't be too long before his powers start to decline.
On that note, let's take a look at five players who could replace him at Manchester City.
#5 Gabri Veiga (Al-Ahli)
In one of the most shocking moves of the summer, a 21-year-old Spanish midfielder with plenty of potential decided to leave European top-tier football behind him and join the Saudi Pro League. We're talking about Gabri Veiga, who was one of the most impressive attacking midfielders in La Liga last season.
The 21-year-old scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 36 appearances across all competitions for Celta Vigo in the 2022-23 season. He was also linked with City and Napoli in the summer but ended up joining Saudi club Al-Ahli.
It's still pretty early in his career and City could manage to rope him in for a decent sum of money in the upcoming transfer windows. They might need to act quickly on this one though as playing outside Europe's top five leagues for extensive periods can cause a player's performance levels to drop a lot.
#4 Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Florian Wirtz is a young footballer with a lot of potential. He is the kind of player who could thrive under Pep Guardiola. As per Goal, City are keeping tabs on the Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder, who can also play on the wings.
His flair, dribbling skills and ability to pick out incisive passes showcase similarities to De Bruyne's style of play. With the right development and guidance, Wirtz could potentially evolve into a creative midfield force capable of leading City's attack and maintaining the team's high standards in the post-De Bruyne era.
The 20-year-old has already scored three goals and provided three assists in seven appearances in all competitions for Leverkusen so far this season.
#3 Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)
Nicolo Barella was linked with Manchester City back when it looked like Bernardo Silva could be on his way out from the club in the summer of 2022. Tuttomercatoweb claimed that City had earmarked the Italian midfield maestro as the right player to replace the Portuguese midfielder.
Barella's quality is beyond question. He possesses the attributes necessary to excel as a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City.
His dynamic playing style, exceptional passing range and versatility in midfield make him a strong candidate to fill the creative void left by De Bruyne's potential departure.
Barella's ability to drive the ball forward and contribute defensively aligns well with City's possession-based game. Under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, he could flourish as a pivotal figure in the team's midfield setup.
#2 Lucas Paqueta (West Ham United)
One of the most likely candidates to replace De Bruyne at City is Lucas Paqueta. That's because Manchester City have already revealed their intention to rope him in by making an outrageous €101 million bid for him this summer.
The Hammers rejected it because Paqueta is one of their most important players and finding a replacement for him would have caused a very big headache for them.
The Brazilian possesses an excellent passing range and is renowned for his ability to produce defence-splitting passes on the regular. He has also grown in confidence since arriving in the Premier League in the summer of 2022.
#1 Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Football fans are likely to be in agreement over the notion that Jamal Musiala is going to become one of the world's best players in the years to come. The dynamic Germany international can play in a variety of roles across midfield and the frontline.
His dribbling skills are exquisite and also has many of the qualities that De Bruyne possesses. City will no doubt have to shell out well in excess of €100 million for Musiala to persuade Bayern Munich to part ways with their talismanic winger. But it could be a statement signing for the reigning European champions.
