Former Manchester City defender Danny Mills says that the Citizens should be looking to bring in a specialised left-back this summer, and “some sort of replacement” for Rodri.
Former Manchester City defender Danny Mills has said that the Citizens should be looking to bring in a specialised left-back this summer, while he also addressed the need for “some sort of replacement” for Rodri.
Pep Guardiola‘s side again lifted the Premier League trophy last season, but they fell short in both the Champions League and FA Cup.
Man City are expected to be active during this summer’s transfer window, while first-team players will also depart, with a recent report claiming that exits for the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva were possible.
Mills represented the Citizens between 2004 and 2009, making 54 appearances for the club, and the former England international has addressed the club’s potential plans for the summer market.
The 47-year-old said that Man City should be looking to bring in a specialist at left-back, while a genuine replacement for Rodri in the middle when the Spaniard is in need of a rest would also be beneficial, according to the former right-back.
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Man City fell short in Champions League, FA Cup last season
“I just wonder if maybe they could bring in a little bit more balance at left-back,” Mills told Sports Mole. “I think [Nathan] Ake has done a very, very good job, but he is not an out-and-out left-back in that scenario.
“I think maybe they have to find some sort of replacement for Rodri to give him a rest at times, but that is almost impossible, we know Rodri’s stats and how good he is.
“What if he picks an injury? That would be a real concern. I think it is just adding a bit more strength in depth for Manchester City.
“To win the treble, to come off the back of winning a treble, it is almost impossible not to have a slight dip in form, off the back of that, which is why no one has ever done back-to-back trebles before, doing the treble is hard enough.
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Mills ‘not surprised’ by slight Man City drop-off
“Winning four Premier Leagues in a row, is hard enough, sport is very, very difficult, when you are at the very, very top level, to keep pushing yourself day in day out when you’ve been successful, is hard.
“So I wasn’t surprised that there was a little drop-off from Manchester City last season. But I would be very, very confident that they would bounce back next year.”
The Citizens will begin their pre-season with a clash against Celtic towards the end of next month, while they will tackle Manchester United in the Community Shield at the start of August.
Mills’s best season at Man City from a personal point of view came in 2004-05, when he turned out for the club on 35 occasions in all competitions.
The ex-Premier League defender has also had his say on England’s performances at this summer’s European Championship off the back of a disappointing 1-1 draw against Denmark.
Danny Mills was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of BetVictor.