Why Ryan Bertrand Will Be A Good Signing For Manchester City
After failing to make a deal for AS Monaco’s Benjamin Mendy, Manchester City should now rope in Southampton FC left-back Ryan Bertrand to replace Pablo Zabaleta. Pep Guardiola is clearly short of full-backs at the moment and needs a lot strengthening in that department.
The English left-back has a proven record in the Premier League having spent 6 seasons at Chelsea FC and later on at Southampton as well. The 27-year-old is a vastly underrated player and has a substantial amount of experience under his belt, having made more than 250 appearances in the Premier League alone. He is rated at £12.7m by transfermarkt.co.uk
Consistency
Bertrand is known for his consistency and work rate. The Englishman can put in darting runs up and down the pitch for an entire game on a regular basis. His strongest asset is undoubtedly his ability to stay fit. The former Chelsea left-back often found himself in England squad thanks to his reliability. Even if Manchester City do not consider him to be the first choice, he can always be the perfect backup for the club.
Defensive positioning
The 27-year-old’s defensive positioning is top class and can out muscle players of bigger stature. Bertrand has been a part of Southampton’s first team for three seasons now and has only managed to impress and progress during the time.
Lack of full backs
Manchester City are already short full-backs, having let go of Bacary Sagna, Pablo Zabaleta, and Gael Clichy. City’s backline is clearly missing full-backs and Pep Guardiola will do everything in his power to bring in the best players available in the market given the club’s financial capability.
It’s not just Manchester City who are on the lookout for a left-back. Jurgen Klopp’s Red’s are also short in the department and they played James Milner in that position instead of the unreliable Alberto Moreno. So, the possibility of Bertrand being snapped up by the Merseyside club are also high.
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City should be looking to sign up the 27-year-old before its too late as the competition for the left-back is heating up. Although Ryan Bertrand’s destination is unclear at the moment, he is surely not staying put at the St.Mary’s beyond this summer.