For the second summer running, Manchester City are looking for a new captain. Bernardo Silva was persuaded to take on the responsibility this time last year after Kevin De Bruyne's departure but now he's gone too. Silva joined Real Madrid in June, which left City skipperless once again.
It's not a major problem for manager Enzo Maresca, who still has three of the squad's established leaders: Ruben Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland. But it's given him something extra to think about and it's a decision that won't be taken lightly.
Maresca, like many coaches, isn't overly keen on assigning the captain's armband to players who are forwards. For a number of reasons. Mainly because they are at one extreme of the pitch. That makes it difficult to communicate with those at the other end – the defence. Also forwards are restricted in what they see. It's easier to view how the game is unfolding and spot any positioning issues from the back. Which is why some managers prefer a center-back or midfielder as captain.
And there are many other qualities that make a good captain – vision, leadership, an ability to communicate clearly with team mates, coaching staff match officials, someone who remains level-headed when things turn ugly.
City's leaders
At City, even though Haaland is in the leadership group, there is one aspect of his game that could convince the coach to appoint someone else as captain. Erling is firmly focused on scoring and just happens to be one of the most prolific goal scorers in the Premier League and Europe.
Scoring goals will impact the captain's responsibilities, says Maresca. “At Leicester and Chelsea, I had a rule that when we scored, the captain had to come to the bench for instructions and not celebrate,†the City boss explained. “But if the captain scores, he can celebrate. So if Erling is the captain… f****** hell, we have a problem, can you imagine? I think even if it is two or three minutes, there is always something to adjustâ€.
With that in mind and Rodri's future up in the air, the favorite to captain City in 2026/27 is Ruben Dias. Maresca also wants to make sure that he has at least one English player in his leadership group. That role could possibly go to Marc Guéhi, who has experience of captaining Crystal Palace and England's Under-21s. Guéhi captained the senior side for the first time earlier this year when Harry Kane was ruled out of March's friendly against Japan at Wembley.
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