Manchester City: Preseason squad rankings

8. Fernandinho

What a fantastic picture that is.

Anyway. Fernandinho is 31 but he doesn’t play like it. His legs are still there and he continues to play like an athletic defensive midfielder in his late 20’s. Last season, Fernandinho made 31 starts in the Premier League and was heavily useful as energy next to the lethargic Yaya Toure.

This season he figures to be important, especially with Gundogan’s current injury (plus the regularity he’s hit the sidelines in recent years.) But when the German comes back, that may leave Fernandinho on the outside looking in or at least in a rotation situation. The Brazilian will compete with a healthy Fabian Delph as well as Fernando to eat Gundogan’s vacant minutes until September or whenever he returns.

Fernandinho’s game is tailor-made for the Premier League but who knows if he can crack it in Guardiola’s system. But even if he can’t, he’ll be useful for his energy and defensive contributions and Guardiola may have to tinge the system to work best in the league anyway.

City splurged a large sum of £34million for a player who was 28 years old at the time and hadn’t played in any of the top five European leagues. But, hey, when they’ve got similar cash rolling around to spend on Mangala then that really underscores why money ain’t a problem in Manchester.

Fernandinho has been able to make 135 appearances for the Premier League side in the past three seasons, playing 30 or more games in the league in his first three years for City.

Next: 7. Joe Hart