Analysis: Do signings signal start of Pep’s Man City revolution?

After relinquishing their title to Liverpool and finishing third in the 2024/25 season, Manchester City have acted swiftly with three statement signings already. Football writer Adrian Clarke discusses the impact this could have for Pep Guardiola's side.

Manchester City’s first trophyless campaign since 2016/17 has prompted Pep Guardiola to take decisive, early summer action.

The arrivals of Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Tijjani Reijnders have given Guardiola's side a fresh feel ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Is this the start of a Pep revolution?

Man City lacked top level athleticism and mobility during a 2024/25 season that saw them lose nine Premier League matches.

With some of their key men ageing, City’s off-the-ball work lacked its previous vibrancy, with a number of opponents targeting that as a weakness.

The January arrivals of Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, and Abdukodir Khusanov signalled a focus on younger players, and that policy is continuing apace.

When you analyse the sudden downturn from City in their pressing, ball recovery skills and all-round vigour last season, as shown below, it is no surprise Guardiola has brought in three energetic outfielders.

These stats reflect how that purposeful action was lacking in 2024/25.

Man City recoveries 21/22 - 24/25*

*PL rank in bracket

Netherlands international Reijnders is a mobile box-to-box midfielder who will offer athleticism and energy, with and without the ball.

Ait-Nouri is an enthusiastic attacking full-back, while midfielder Cherki will add zip to City’s attack with his sharp attacking play.

If this is a revolution from Guardiola, it is being built around an injection of dynamism.

Can Reijnders be the new De Bruyne?

Reijnders, 26, had his best ever season for AC Milan, scoring 13 goals across matches in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League.

He is industrious out of possession and while not a prolific ball-winner, his best qualities come to the fore when playing with the ball at his feet.

Reijnders made 275 progressive ball carries in 2024/25, the second-highest of all Serie A midfielders, and at the end of those runs he is not afraid to shoot.

He will produce a lot of line-breaking passes inside the middle third, feeding quality service into City’s forwards.

Reijnders is also a good distributor who can open up rival defences, producing an impressive 47 defensive line-breaking passes last season – the most of any Serie A player.

His total is seven more than Kevin De Bruyne delivered for City, with most of Reijnders outings as a central midfielder in a double pivot, rather than as a No 10.

As shown below, he likes to slide well-weighted deliveries in between central defenders and full-backs.

This could be good news for Jeremy Doku, Savinho and fellow new signing Cherki.

Click here to enlarge the graphic.

De Bruyne is almost impossible to replace, and Reijnders is by no means an identical type of player.

Reijnders is not as creative, and is unlikely to be as capable of dominance, but from a slightly deeper role he possesses many similar traits.

Cherki will put pressure on Foden and Savinho

Attacking midfielder Cherki arrives at the Etihad Stadium regarded by many as one of European football’s brightest young prospects.

The 21-year-old has creative artistry in abundance and is two-footed, but strongest on his left.

He created 125 chances in all competitions for Lyon last season and is always looking to receive the ball in pockets of space.

Indeed Cherki's tally was only bettered by Raphinha's 152 and the 158 of Bruno Fernandes across Europe’s top five leagues.

His numbers from Ligue 1 were special, as reflected in the table below.

Cherki's Ligue 1 attacking contribution 24/25

Cherki is not an out-and-out right winger like Savinho, for example, but he can play on that side with the freedom of drifting infield.

That hybrid role has been performed by Phil Foden many times, so Cherki’s arrival will inevitably lead to serious competition between those two players.

Foden’s disappointing 2024/25 campaign was in stark contrast to that of the new arrival, so the England international will be hoping he can recapture his best form at the Club World Cup.

This is how the two compared in league football last season.

Ait-Nouri’s arrival signals change of approach at left back

The arrival of Algeria international Ait-Nouri represents a shift in style at left-back.

In the past Guardiola has used a number of inverted left-backs, preferring the pace of Kyle Walker on the other flank.

Josko Gvardiol was his first choice left-back for much of 2024/25, and although the Croat had some good moments going forward, it was not until the more dynamic Nico O’Reilly was introduced late on in the campaign that City enjoyed high levels of creativity levels down that flank.

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers star Ait-Nouri can invert and play centrally, but he has been brought in to add verve and penetration wide on the left flank.

This will encourage players such as Marmoush and Doku to slide infield into better goalscoring positions on a more frequent basis.

Ait-Nouri could also chip in with plenty of goals and assists.

Last season he produced 11 direct goal contributions, the most of any Premier League defender.

His set-pieces are good, and as shown below, Ait-Nouri's level of creative output last season dwarfed that of Gvardiol.

The 24-year-old will pop up in a lot of different areas and is going to revel in a side that has the ball inside opposition territory significantly more than Wolves had.

How will Pep Lijnders impact City?

It took many by surprise to see Guardiola appoint Jurgen Klopp’s long-time No 2 Pep Lijnders as his new assistant.

Lijnders left Anfield at the same time as Klopp in 2023/24 to become a manager at RB Salzburg, but he was dismissed six months ago after winning only 13 of 29 matches.

Crucially, Lijnders will be enthusiastic about making improvements to City's pressing and counter-pressing, which deteriorated badly last season.

The recruitment of ball carriers such as Cherki, Reijnders and Marmoush, should also help City improve scoring from counter-attacks.

Lijnders played a part in Liverpool becoming of the best teams around playing on the counter.

Man City v Liverpool goals scored from fast breaks

Liverpool netted 11 more goals than City from fast breaks in 2024/25 and although Lijnders was not there, his input over a decade on Merseyside will have had an impact.

Even so, the Reds consistently outscored Man City from transitions, so the new coach will also focus on that aspect of their game.

How could City look in 25/26?

Guardiola usually used a 4-2-3-1 or 4-1-4-1 formation last season, rarely starting with a back three.

In possession his sides still build up with a three-man rearguard in place, but he has leaned towards adding an extra attacker in recent times.

Guardiola formations 24/25

He has a wealth of options at his disposal now, and we are sure to get a better idea of his plans at the Club World Cup.

One tactic could be to switch Doku to the right wing. This would see Marmoush come in off the left to allow Ait-Nouri to overlap the Egyptian as he wanders inside.

If Doku stays on the left flank, we would potentially see Reijnders push on as a twin No 10 in a 4-1-4-1 system, with Ait-Nouri inverting alongside Rodri when City have the ball.

Guardiola has constantly evolved his set-up and been a trailblazer for others to follow since joining Man City at the start of the 2016/17 campaign.

This trio of new faces will likely be the trigger for a new-look City side this coming season.

Their possession stats have steadily lowered in recent years, so do not be surprised if City focus less on control once again.

We will not see them sit deep and play on the break, but this more youthful Man City squad looks well suited to pressing hard and exploding into life on fast transitions.