Manchester City have found their Rodri back-up, and it’s a 19-year-old Academy star, says Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that one of Manchester City’s most exciting Academy prospects can play the role of back-up to Rodri during the upcoming season.

The Premier League champions have long been tipped to be on the hunt for a new summer signing to operate in both the defensive midfield and number eight positions within Pep Guardiola’s central trio.

With Bruno Guimaraes understood to be Manchester City’s main target for the ongoing market, the pursuit of the Brazilian significantly stalled after the expiry of his £100 million release clause, and a deal for the Newcastle United star now seems increasingly unlikely.

As such, Pep Guardiola has been given the opportunity to experiment during pre-season over a number of options emerging from the club’s youth academy, and that has drawn him to the profile of one teenage name that could answer some of his problems this season.

Speaking to journalists earlier this week during Manchester City’s pre-season tour of the United States, Pep Guardiola confirmed his belief that 19-year-old Academy star Nico O’Reilly can now play with the club’s first-team squad.

“I am pretty sure he can help us,” Pep Guardiola said of the teenager after his stellar performance against Barcelona in Orlando, Florida earlier this week.

The Manchester City manager continued, as relayed by The Athletic’s Sam Lee, “He can play with us, even as a holding midfielder when Rodri is not there.

“We (also) have Kalvin Phillips. I don’t know what is going to happen, but we have Kova (Mateo Kovacic), and we have Nico. I know he can play it.”

Responding to Pep Guardiola’s comments shortly after at Camping World Stadium, Nico O’Reilly admitted, “That means so much to hear that. From the best manager in the world, it makes me so happy.”

Nico O’Reilly has featured in all three of Manchester City’s pre-season contests in the United States thus far, and given his performances against Celtic, AC Milan, and FC Barcelona, there is a high chance he is given responsibilities for the finale against Chelsea on Saturday night.

The teenager has progressed right through Manchester City’s age groups since first signing with the Academy system aged just eight. In the 2022/23 season, O’Reilly made 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring 13 goals and assisting 14 as he captained the club’s Under-18 team to U18 Premier League glory.

That development was further continued into Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad last season, with the 19-year-old also winning the Academy Goal of the Year award having scored from the halfway line against Nottingham Forest.