Why Nico Elvedi would be a brilliant long-term investment for Man City

Back in June, German news outlet Bild (h/t Football.London) had claimed Manchester City were interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi. However, a move didn’t materialise and the defender has since stayed put at the Bundesliga club.

At 23, Nico Elvedi already has a vast amount of experience for club and country. This is mainly due to the fact that he made his senior debut in the Swiss Super League at the age of 17 when he still played for his hometown club FC Zurich.

The Swiss spent a total of nine years with Zurich after joining their academy in 2006. He went on to make 26 appearances for the first-team before joining Borussia Monchengladbach back in 2015. At Gladbach, Elvedi has become a defensive mainstay and managed 24 appearances last season.

Nico Elvedi of Monchengladbach runs with the ball during the UEFA Europa League group J match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and AS Roma at Borussia-Park. (Getty Images)

Gladbach currently top the Bundesliga by just a point ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund in third and boast the joint-best defensive record in the division after 14 games.

One of the consistent performers this season has been Elvedi and Manchester City should reignite their interest in the defender when the transfer market opens next month.

Manchester City are the top scorers in the Premier League this season but the reigning champions find themselves out of the title race already. Four defeats in 16 games have left them 14 points adrift of runaway leaders Liverpool. Their defensive record has been the reason for the downfall.

Vincent Kompany left Man City this past summer and Guardiola decided to not replace his former skipper. The decision to bring in a replacement for Kompany coupled with Aymeric Laporte’s long-term injury has come back to haunt the City manager, who currently has Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones as the only fit centre-backs.

Nico Elvedi of Borussia Monchengladbach of Borussia Monchengladbach in action during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and FC Augsburg at Borussia-Park. (Getty Images)

If the Cityzens are to improve and go all out to win the league and the Champions League, a central defender is an absolute must. To put things into perspective, Guardiola should make a move for Elvedi as a long-term investment for City’s defence.

Elvedi would be able to offer City an immediate improvement on their current options in central defence, as well as a potential future partner for Laporte next season.

The Swiss has emerged as one of European football’s most exciting defender and looks destined for bigger things in the future. Although he is best suited as a centre-back, the 23-year-old is certainly capable of playing anywhere across the back-four.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during the 2018 Manchester derby. (Getty Images)

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The Switzerland international is a brilliant ball-player, as evident from his 92.1% pass success rate for Gladbach so far this season. Elvedi has registered 1.6 tackles, 2.2 interceptions, 3.8 clearances and 0.4 blocks per game in the 2019/20 campaign. [Courtesy: WhoScored.com]

Verdict

As a versatile defender who is still young and has a huge amount of potential, Elvedi may be exactly what City need to bolster their defensive department.