Jahmai Simpson-Pusey is the future of Manchester City’s defence says Pep Guardiola

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has insisted that 19-year-old breakthrough talent Jahmai Simpson-Pusey is the future of the club’s defence.

Having now made his senior competitive debut for the club by starting in both Manchester City’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Sporting and the Premier League encounter with Brighton & Hove Albion, Simpson-Pusey’s stock is rising.

Composed when in possession of the ball, an eye for a forward pass, defensively astute with a turn of pace, the attributes on show from the teenager have illustrated a player who has completed the ultimate Manchester City development since joining the club as a kid.

Having had trials with multiple Premier League clubs, including a stint with Manchester United in their training sessions put on for young prospects, Simpson-Pusey opted to join the youth academy at Manchester City at the age of just eight years-old.

And with injury concerns mounting at the very senior level of the Premier League champions’ operation, there remains a high chance that Simpson-Pusey could remain an integral part of Pep Guardiola’s plans this season.

Speaking after the 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, Guardiola issued further fitness updates surrounding two members of his defensive unit, indicating more struggles on the player health front.

“Kyle [Walker] is not ready for 90 minutes at all because he trained a few training sessions this season, all season so far,” Guardiola said, before issuing an update on the fitness of Manuel Akanji.

Guardiola continued, “Manu said yesterday [Friday], ‘I felt so bad in the training session and I could not move properly’, and against that team [Brighton] I prefer fresh people.”

In light of Pep Guardiola’s comments and not appearing in the 90 minutes against Brighton on the weekend, Manuel Akanji withdrew from Switzerland duties this month in the final international break of the year, whilst Kyle Walker remained available for England.

Issuing glowing praise on a breakthrough star that has come as a direct result of Manchester City’s injury problems in defence, Pep Guardiola stated that 19-year-old Academy graduate Jahmai Simpson-Pusey can be the future of the Etihad Stadium’s rearguard.

“The guy played really good, the young lad again, with this composure and duels and everything was good. It’s not easy for him,” Guardiola said of the Huddersfield-born defender.

“Normally the young lads, they must come in with support from the team, with Rodri in front of them, right? With the best Kyle [Walker], and defenders, and now we support him,” Guardiola continued.

“Now he’s playing in a position that is difficult for him but he performed unbelievable. We have a central defender to help us for the future, for the next years. I’m really pleased. Always there is good news when the situation goes bad, and this is one of them.”

Simpson-Pusey signed his first professional contract with Manchester City back in July 2023, before going on to captain the club’s Under-18 side in the FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League in 2024, winning the FA Youth Cup in the process.

Simpson-Pusey first emerged in the Manchester City first-team during their pre-season tour of the United States over the summer of 2024, featuring in friendly contests against Italian giants AC Milan and Scottish Premier League champions Celtic.