Manchester City may move away from chasing Ibrahim Maza, as Pep Guardiola may seek an experienced replacement for Bernardo Silva.
Bernardo Silva’s impending departure could lead Manchester City to recruit an experienced player as his replacement rather than someone younger. As per Football Insider, this thinking from the club could lead them away from the chase of Bayer Leverkusen’s Ibrahim Maza, who has been impressive but probably not at the level the club need right now.
Bernardo Silva was one of the best performers for Manchester City on Sunday as they roared back into the title race with a win over leaders Arsenal. The experienced Portuguese midfielder, 31, is set to leave the club in the summer for a new challenge, which could force Pep Guardiola to find an able replacement, if there are any in the market at his level.
There has been an interest in Ibrahim Maza, the Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder, making his potential known with some impressive performances in the Bundesliga. He has contributed to 11 goals this season and is on Manchester City’s radar, while other clubs could make their interest known in the near future.
On paper, Maza could be viewed as a decent replacement for Silva, although Manchester City are currently thinking in a different direction. Guardiola wants a battle-hardened, experienced head to come in place of the departing Portugal international, which could see them move away from pursuing the Bayer Leverkusen star.
Moreover, Maza is an attacking midfielder, like Silva for most of Manchester City spell. But over the course of the last many years, the Portuguese’s role has changed at Manchester City. Hence, the replacement for the 31-year-old need not be an attacking midfielder, but rather someone who could operate differently in the middle alongside Rodri.
How will Manchester City replace Bernardo Silva?
There have been links with Elliot Anderson, in a measure to add a midfield partner for Rodri. Guardiola has used Silva alongside the Spaniard for most parts of late, which could see them target a new player centrally rather than in the attacking zone. Their recent links to Morten Hjulmand make sense in that regard, as the Dane could be a good addition to replace Silva.
Manchester City could plan that way, but they must also do everything to retain Rodri, despite being relaxed about his situation amid Real Madrid links. Guardiola often gets most of his transfer decisions right, which could be the case here with the Silva replacement, although a player as young as Maza may not be the solution in this regard.
