Manchester City are convinced that their two most important players in Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling are going to extend their contracts with the club. The two have been essential in City’s good performances this season, and have also taken up the armband as and when required.

De Bruyne has been deployed as a false-9 in Pep Guardiola’s 4-3-3 and that new position has given him even more offensive freedom than before, operating dynamically in the heart of the park. The player also drops down to collect the ball to start attacks which makes it even more difficult for the opposition’s defenders to commit to marking him away from the back.

Across the Premier League and Champions League, he has scored 6 goals and provided 15 assists and has also given concerns to Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero regarding their entitlement to playing time leading the frontline.

Sergio Aguero’s situation remains undecided and the general feeling is that his contract talks will be carried out at the end of the season. The Argentine will complete a decade playing for Manchester City this summer, and has missed a big amount of time this season due to injury and COVID-19.

Pep Guardiola is now easing the striker back into the lineup, but his appearances remain sparse due to the emergence of Kevin De Bruyne as a reliable false-9. The Cityzens remain at the top of the Premier League table and look all set to recapture the title this season.