In a surprising turn of events that has captivated Premier League followers, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has singled out Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol as the club’s most important player of the 2024/25 season, placing him above even prolific striker Erling Haaland. As City approach the final stretch of what has been a challenging campaign by their lofty standards, Guardiola’s assessment highlights a defensive revolution taking place at the Etihad Stadium.
“I think Josko has been our most important player this season,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of City’s clash with Southampton. “Without Josko, it would be impossible to sustain; he has been reliable to play every three days during eleven months, in the good and bad moments. Josko has been top.”
Gvardiol, who arrived at the club in a substantial £77.6 million transfer from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, has proven his worth across 49 appearances this season. The 23-year-old’s versatility has been especially valuable, with the Croatian international excelling whether deployed as a left-back or in his more natural center-back position. Beyond his defensive contributions, Gvardiol has demonstrated unexpected offensive prowess, becoming the highest-scoring defender in the Premier League with five goals to his name.
The significance of Guardiola’s praise cannot be overstated, particularly when considering the attacking talent at City’s disposal. While Erling Haaland has netted 30 goals this season—a tally most strikers would envy—the Norwegian forward has faced criticism for his inconsistency and has himself admitted to underperforming. “I have not been good enough,” Haaland conceded earlier in the season, a stark contrast to his previously dominant form that saw him break numerous scoring records.
This changing of the guard in terms of team importance reflects broader challenges City have encountered throughout the season. Several key players including Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, and returning midfielder Ilkay Gundogan have struggled to maintain their typically high standards during large portions of the campaign. It’s against this backdrop that Gvardiol’s consistency and adaptability have proven so vital to City’s current nine-game unbeaten run.
The Haaland Conundrum: Analyzing the Striker’s Season
Despite maintaining impressive goal statistics with 30 goals across all competitions, Erling Haaland’s 2024/25 campaign has been characterized by periods of anonymity in games—an unusual development for a striker previously known for his commanding presence. The Norwegian’s admission that he “has not been good enough” reflects an understanding that pure goal tallies don’t tell the complete story of a forward’s contribution.
In previous seasons, Haaland’s influence extended beyond just scoring; his movement created space for teammates, his physical presence unsettled opposition defenses, and his ability to be at the right place at the right time seemed almost supernatural. This season, however, there have been matches where the 24-year-old has struggled to impose himself, leading to questions about his overall impact.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher remains a staunch defender of Haaland, arguing that the striker has still been City’s best performer despite these criticisms. This perspective highlights the subjective nature of evaluating player performances and the different metrics by which success can be measured. For some, Haaland’s continued goal production outweighs any perceived inconsistency in his general play.
The criticism Haaland has faced also speaks to the impossibly high standards set at Manchester City, where merely being good is often not good enough. Few strikers across Europe would be scrutinized for a 30-goal season, yet at City, it’s the manner of these contributions and their timing that comes under the microscope.
Tactical Evolution: City’s Left-Back Dilemma
Perhaps the most telling indication of Guardiola’s tactical challenges this season has been his approach to the left-back position. Rather than utilizing a specialist in the role, the Spanish tactician has primarily deployed center-back Josko Gvardiol on the left side of defense. More recently, in a characteristically innovative move, Guardiola has begun using young midfielder Nico O’Reilly in the position, where the 20-year-old has excelled over the past month.
This makeshift solution points to a clear area for reinforcement, with reports suggesting Manchester City plan to add at least one full-back to their squad during the summer transfer window. However, this situation also demonstrates Guardiola’s adaptability and willingness to find unconventional solutions to positional problems.
Interestingly, O’Reilly’s success at left-back has created its own complexity. Guardiola reportedly views the youngster’s long-term future in a defensive midfield role, as a number six. O’Reilly, however, harbors ambitions of playing further up the pitch, creating a potential disconnect between manager and player over positional development.
Summer Transfer Targets: Reinforcing the Defense
With defensive recruitment evidently a priority for the upcoming transfer window, Manchester City have been linked with several high-profile full-backs. Two names feature prominently in these discussions: Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Rayan Ait-Nouri and Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso.
Ait-Nouri, valued at approximately £50 million, has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most exciting attacking full-backs. The 23-year-old Algerian international has been crucial to Wolves’ offensive threat, contributing five goals and seven assists across 38 appearances this season. However, Wolves manager Vitor Pereira has made his intentions clear regarding the defender’s future.
“If you were in my position, would you want to keep him or not?” Pereira asked rhetorically during a press conference. “Me too. He’s a top player and we want to keep our best players. The target is to keep our best players and to bring in not too many players because then we would have to start again.”
The Midlands club are reportedly preparing to offer Ait-Nouri a new contract to ward off interest from City and other potential suitors. Despite impressing against City in a recent fixture at the Etihad, where he was controversially lucky to avoid a red card according to pundit Jamie Carragher, Ait-Nouri’s acquisition may prove challenging given Wolves’ firm stance.
Perhaps more attainable is Andrea Cambiaso of Juventus, who has emerged as City’s primary left-back target according to reports from the Daily Mail. The Italian international first attracted City’s interest during the January transfer window, though no move materialized at that time. Cambiaso’s versatility—being capable of operating effectively on both flanks—aligns perfectly with Guardiola’s preference for tactically flexible players.
Comparing the two targets statistically reveals interesting differences. While Ait-Nouri offers greater offensive output with five goals and seven assists from 38 games, Cambiaso has contributed two goals and four assists across 40 appearances. The Italian has played fewer minutes overall (2,747 compared to Ait-Nouri’s 3,162), potentially indicating differences in their physical demands or tactical usage.
Reports suggest City may only pursue one full-back this summer, with the right side considered a more urgent priority. Cambiaso’s ability to cover both positions could therefore make him the more pragmatic choice for addressing multiple needs with a single signing.
Young Talent Development: O’Reilly’s Rise
The emergence of Nico O’Reilly as a viable left-back option represents another example of Guardiola’s skill in developing versatile young players. The 20-year-old has recently acknowledged the important mentorship role Josko Gvardiol has played in his development, particularly as he adapts to his new defensive responsibilities.
“He has helped me so much in training this season,” O’Reilly revealed about the Croatian defender. This knowledge transfer between players highlights the collaborative culture Guardiola has fostered at Manchester City, where positional expertise is shared across the squad.
O’Reilly’s situation exemplifies the classic Guardiola approach to talent development: identifying a player’s core attributes and applying them in unexpected positions to solve tactical problems. Previous examples of this methodology include Javier Mascherano’s conversion from midfielder to center-back at Barcelona and Philipp Lahm’s transition to a central midfield role at Bayern Munich.
However, O’Reilly’s reported preference for an attacking role potentially foreshadows future decisions about his development path. The disconnect between Guardiola’s vision for the player as a defensive midfielder and O’Reilly’s own attacking ambitions will need careful management to ensure his continued growth at the club.
Signs of Recovery: City’s Unbeaten Run
Despite the challenges faced throughout the 2024/25 campaign, Manchester City have shown considerable resilience in recent weeks. Their current nine-game unbeaten streak suggests Guardiola has begun finding solutions to the issues that plagued the team earlier in the season.
This upturn in form coincides with improved defensive stability, lending credence to Guardiola’s assessment of Gvardiol’s importance. During this unbeaten run, City have rediscovered some of their characteristic control in matches, though perhaps not with the same overwhelming dominance of previous seasons.
The recovery provides optimism heading into the 2025/26 campaign, with Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville predicting a continuation of this form in City’s upcoming fixture against Southampton. The challenge for Guardiola will be maintaining this momentum while addressing the squad’s evident needs in the transfer market.
Pundit Perspectives: Evaluating City’s Season
The assessment of Manchester City’s season has varied significantly among football pundits. While Jamie Carragher maintains that Haaland has been City’s standout performer despite criticism, others have acknowledged the crucial contributions of players like Gvardiol in keeping City competitive during difficult periods.
Paul Merson recently offered his own perspective on City’s campaign, suggesting that the team “won’t” repeat similar struggles next season. This assessment implies both recognition of City’s below-par performances by their standards and confidence in Guardiola’s ability to rectify issues over the summer.
The contrasting opinions regarding City’s player performances illustrate the subjective nature of football analysis. What constitutes success or failure is often relative to expectations, and few clubs have set standards as consistently high as Manchester City under Guardiola.
Looking Ahead: City’s Transfer Strategy
As the summer transfer window approaches, Manchester City appear focused on strategic reinforcements rather than wholesale changes. Beyond the previously discussed full-back targets, the club has been linked with other Premier League talents including Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
City captain Kyle Walker has spoken positively about Gibbs-White, fueling speculation about a potential move. This interest aligns with City’s established transfer philosophy of targeting players with Premier League experience when possible, reducing adaptation time and risk.
The club’s transfer strategy will likely be influenced by potential outgoings as well. With several veterans approaching the latter stages of their careers and young talents pushing for regular playing time, Guardiola faces important decisions about squad balance and succession planning.
Guardiola’s Future and Legacy
As Pep Guardiola continues his tenure at Manchester City, each season adds new dimensions to his managerial legacy. The 2024/25 campaign has presented unique challenges that have tested his tactical flexibility and man-management skills in ways different from the dominance of previous years.
Guardiola’s public identification of Gvardiol as the team’s most important player represents not just an assessment of individual performance but a philosophical statement about how he views the game. By elevating the importance of defensive stability and versatility over attacking statistics, Guardiola signals a potential evolution in his tactical approach.
This season may ultimately be remembered as a transitional period for Manchester City under Guardiola—a campaign where the foundations were laid for future success through tactical adjustments and the integration of younger players into important roles. The manager’s ability to recognize Gvardiol’s importance amid challenges demonstrates the adaptability that has defined his career.
Conclusion: Redefining Success at the Etihad
As Manchester City approach the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, the narrative surrounding the club has shifted from one of expected dominance to one of resilience and adaptation. Josko Gvardiol’s emergence as the team’s most important player, even above the goal-scoring prowess of Erling Haaland, symbolizes this changing perspective.
What becomes clear through Guardiola’s assessment is that success at the highest level of football requires more than just attacking brilliance. The reliability, versatility, and consistency demonstrated by Gvardiol throughout a challenging campaign highlight the multifaceted nature of building a truly balanced team.
As City prepare for their final fixtures of the season and look ahead to summer reinforcements, this recognition of defensive importance may well influence their transfer strategy and tactical approach moving forward. In identifying Gvardiol as the team’s standout performer, Guardiola has not only given credit where it’s due but potentially signaled the direction for Manchester City’s next evolution under his stewardship.
Whether this represents a temporary adjustment or a more fundamental shift in Guardiola’s footballing philosophy remains to be seen. What is certain is that City’s ability to remain competitive even during a season of relative struggles demonstrates the strong foundations that have been built at the club—foundations that now appear to rest as much on defensive solidity as attacking flair.
