Manchester City are seen by many as one of, if not the best club side in world football.
For many, Pep Guardiola‘s side is the gold standard.
Over the past few years, Manchester City have dominated in England and the team will be attempting to win a fifth Premier League title this season.
In 2023, the club won an historic Treble, after finally winning a first Champions League trophy.
The starting XI is extremely strong and so, fans of other clubs often like to debate whether their best player would actually get into City’s team.
Such a debate took place on talkSPORT yesterday, with presenter Andy Goldstein talking about Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes following the Community Shield between City and United at the weekend.
United fan Goldstein felt Fernandes would get into City’s midfield – but former Premier League striker Darren Bent was having none of it.
Darren Bent adamant Bruno Fernandes wouldn’t get in Man City midfield over Bernardo Silva
Fernandes has undeniably been United’s best player for a few years now.
He arrived at Old Trafford in a deal worth £67 million in total, and has clocked up 234 appearances for the club. He has scored 79 goals and made 67 assists, which are some impressive numbers.
United have struggled in recent years, with Fernandes often being their standout player in games.
Many would accept he is their best player, but does he get into City’s best team? Not for Darren Bent, who rejected the suggestion from Goldstein on talkSPORT yesterday.
He said: “You’re crazy. In what position?”
Goldstein: “I would play Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno.”
Bent: “OK, so you think he’s better in big games than Bernardo Silva?! Absolutely not!”
Goldstein: “You could play Bernardo Silva out wide, you could find a place for him.”
Bent: “Him in there, if I was playing Rodri, De Bruyne and Bernardo in big games, Bernardo plays all the time.”
Goldstein: “Bernardo is a wonderful player. But what I’m saying is, he (Fernandes) wouldn’t look out of place.”
Pep would find a place for Fernandes
- READ MORE: Who is Bernardo Silva? Try to keep up with Man City’s £43m all-action hero who just never stops
These kinds of hypothetical arguments are always interesting.
There will be many City fans out there who agree with Bent saying that Fernandes would not get into the Manchester City midfield.
City’s midfield with Rodri, De Bruyne and either Phil Foden or Bernardo Silva is arguably the strongest in the world, and it would be difficult to make a case for any player from another club to get into it over those guys.
But it has to be said, Pep does rate Fernandes very highly, saying earlier this year (via Beanyman Sports): “He’s an exceptional player. Especially the consistency to play every single game in every single competition – I admire that a lot.
“When the guy has the ball, something is going to happen. Free kicks, set pieces, the connections with the players up front, Garnacho, Rashford. What can I say? He’s a really, really important player.”
So Pep would, hypothetically speaking, probably find a place for Fernandes and perhaps play Bernardo out wide.
