Who are Man City’s next ‘dynasty-builders’?

Times are changing for Manchester City.

The dominant force in English football for a decade and more, City ended the 2024/25 season without a single major trophy — the first time they’ve done that since 2016/17 — and slipped to third in the table.

But there’s going to be a new look to Pep Guardiola’s team. Rayan Ait-Nouri has already completed a big move from Wolves, but even bigger is Kevin De Bruyne leaving as a free agent.

The Belgian is arguably the club’s greatest-ever player and a long-serving remnant of a dynasty built for Guardiola alongside the likes of Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero.

City already have their new Aguero in Erling Haaland, but who will replace De Bruyne? Furthermore, with Ilkay Gundogan, John Stones and Bernardo Silva among those advancing into their 30s, it won’t be long until even more new blood is required.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at the under-23 players currently at Manchester City to see who will be the new ‘dynasty-builders’ at the Etihad Stadium.

1. Abdukodir Khusanov

Khusanov endured some tricky moments shortly after his big move from Lens in January and eventually found himself frozen out completely for the final six games of the season. However, the Uzbek still showed enough glimpses to assure us he’s a big name of the future.

Looking a little further back to his time at Lens, the 21-year-old was third among teammates to play at least 25% of Ligue 1 minutes last season for aerial duels won per 90 (2.58), and then first for interceptions (2.4) and clearances (5.17). He was also dribbled past only four times and completed 88.95% of his passes.

Could be the next… John Stones. He’s excellent on the ball, dominant in one-on-one situations and already has huge experience for his age. That right centre-back slot could be his for years to come.

2. Rico Lewis

Lewis still has a lot to learn about being a Premier League full-back, but from his speed to his ball-playing ability, he has all the tools to become one of the best. Lewis has a lot of experience for his mere 20 years on this planet, already playing 93 times for City across all competitions, winning two Premier League titles, a Champions League and more. Not to mention his five senior England caps.

Could be the next… Kyle Walker. A bit obvious, really. Walker is arguably the greatest right-back of the Premier League era, and Lewis could potentially be an elite right-back too. But don’t sleep on his ability to be an inverted left-back, in the same mould as Joso Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

3. Savinho

Only De Bruyne (57) and Silva (53) created more chances than Savinho’s 46 in the Premier League last season, but KDB was City’s primary set-piece taker, and Silva played almost 1,000 minutes more.

Even more impressively, Savinho completed 52 dribbles, which was dwarfed by the electric Jeremy Doku on 107, but was still enough to leave him at least 24 clear of any other City player. And only Erling Haaland (108) and De Bruyne (57) attempted more shots (55).

Could be the next… Leroy Sane. Savinho’s end-product still needs a lot of work after scoring just once and providing eight assists. However, it’s hard to deny just how exciting he is. That speed, directness and sheer desire to make something from nothing sparks memories of prime Leroy Sane.

4. James McAtee

McAtee is certainly an interesting case. The former England youth international was decent in flashes on loan at Sheffield United in 2023/24, but must be given some credit, given how terrible the Blades were. Then he surprisingly stayed at City as part of Guardiola’s squad, before struggling to get even a sniff of action in the first half of the campaign.

Perhaps more surprising was that McAtee grew into an important squad player in the second half of the season, going on to register seven goals in 27 appearances across all competitions by the end of play — including three goals in the Premier League.

Could be the next… Julian Alvarez. Obviously not a positional comparison or one based on outright quality at this point. However, McAtee has offered a lot of quality from the bench for Guardiola and can cover across multiple positions.

5. Nico O’Reilly

O’Reilly got his big break covering at left-back due to an injury crisis, and boy, did he take that chance. The England youth international registered five goals and seven assists in just 16 appearances across all competitions, including back-to-back strikes in wins over Everton and Crystal Palace, and a brace of assists in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth.

Could be the next… Ilkay Gundogan. Of course, Guardiola has always insisted O’Reilly is much better as a midfielder, and that is his natural position. The 20-year-old has quality and composure on the ball, the ability to get up and down, and great positional awareness. He could play any of the central midfield roles, just as Gundogan has over the years.

6. Oscar Bobb

Oscar Bobb’s 2024/25 campaign never really got going due to a fractured leg. However, few City fans will forget his performance in the Community Shield against Man Utd, in which he registered an assist, while he also managed two goals and three assists against Chelsea, Barcelona, AC Milan and Celtic during that pre-season.

During the 2023/24 campaign, Bobb registered goals in the Premier League and Champions League, and was second among City players to clock up 250+ league minutes for take-ons completed per 90 (3.36) and chances created (2.75).

Could be the next… Riyad Mahrez. Bobb obviously hasn’t clocked up the sort of numbers Mahrez did yet, but he possesses many of the same skills. Not least, dribbling, cutting inside to shoot and excellent close control.

7. Claudio Echeverri

He’s just 19 years old and has played only 19 minutes across two appearances for City so far, but the fact that one of those outings came in the FA Cup final tells you exactly how Guardiola feels about Claudio Echeverri.

The Argentina youth international was a sensational creative force for River Plate, and if he can adjust to the physical demands of the Premier League, City could have a special talent on their hands.

Could be the next… David Silva. A 1.7m tall central midfielder with an eye for a pass. Where have we seen that before at Manchester City? It’s early days for Echeverri, but the blueprint is there.

8. Vitor Reis

Vitor Reis has played just 136 minutes of senior football so far for Manchester City, so there’s a lot to learn and even more to prove. However, his time with Palmeiras showed us he’s a ball-happy, aerially dominant centre-back who is aggressive and proactive.

Could be the next… Vincent Kompany. 12 of Vitor Reis’ 13 caps for Brazil’s U-17 squad were as captain, proving he is a born leader. This is a very cautious comparison, of course, but how City would love it to come to fruition.

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