Pep Guardiola set to transform entire Man City team with key Premier League signing

Manchester City are set for a defensive revamp this summer as Pep Guardiola's side look to regain the Premier League title.

The Blues finished third last season and are seeking to overhaul the squad, with the departure of Kevin de Bruyne already confirmed.

Pep Guardiola already started his defensive overhaul in January with the signings of Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens and Vitor Reis from Palmeiras.

And it has emerged they are now pursuing a deal for Wolves' left back Rayan Ait Nouri.

David Ornstein confirmed the Algerian is City's top target for the position, although no agreement has yet been reached between the clubs.

The 23-year-old made 41 appearances for Wolves this season, contributing five goals and seven assists as his side finished 16th in the Premier League.

Rayan Ait-Nouri, Malcolm Couzens via Getty Images

Why Gvardiol at CB makes sense for City's fightback

He became the most expensive defender in history when he joined City from RB Leipzig in 2023 for £77m.

The majority of Gvardiol's appearances during his debut campaign came at left back, as he started 26 league games on the way to City winning a fourth consecutive league title.

This season, the 23-year-old Croatian international has missed just one Premier League game for Manchester City playing both centre back and left back.

Despite City's struggles this season, he has been a standout performer.

The development of a centre back partnership with Ruben Dias towards the end of the season was crucial as City secured Champions League football on the final day.

Gvardiol at CB? (Ben Roberts - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Fans want Gvardiol at CB

Manchester City struggled with defensive injuries, with Nathan Ake, Manual Akanji and John Stones all missing significant portions of the season.

But the emergence of Nico O'Reilly at left back allowed Guardiola to pick a centre-back pairing of Dias and Gvardiol.

A BBC sport poll for City's player of the season was comfortably won by Gvardiol, who received 52 percent of the vote.

And the news that the Blues are seeking to sign Ait-Nouri was positively greeted by supporters on X (Twitter). One fan @FodenCTID said: "Finally Gvardiol CB full time."

And @_taxaeze wrote: "Gvardiol is arguably one of the first names on the team sheet at CB."

But not everyone was as certain about Ait Nouri's tactical fit.

@SavEliiz2014 said: "Ait-Nouri I think as a full back is brilliant (modern day anyway). Defensively improving, interesting though because this means Gvardiol goes back to CB or city going to go three at back, or Pep does a Pep and coverts him to a new position?"