With Ilkay Gundogan having departed Manchester City to join Barcelona on a free transfer upon the expiration of his contract, the Sky Blues have a problem on their hands – they need a new captain.

Time is ticking – the Citizens will need to name a new club captain as soon as possible, in order to keep the dressing room happy. On the other hand, they cannot afford to rush their decision – they must make the right call.

Who is in the running to be the next Manchester City captain?

There are several options for who could take the armband into the 2023/24 season – but Pep Guardiola must take great care with his final decision.

Kevin De Bruyne stands out as an obvious pick – currently one of the best players in the world, he would have no problem in commanding respect from his teammates.

Kyle Walker would also be a good pick. An experienced defender, the former Tottenham Hotspur man has done it all, but there is talk of him leaving the club in the ongoing summer transfer window.

Additionally, Nathan Ake could also fulfil the role of club captain. While he doesn’t have Walker’s experience, he is swiftly becoming one of the best defenders in the Premier League – he’s also very vocal at the back.

Our preferred choice

While these three players would all make excellent choices to be City’s next captain, we feel there is an obvious choice in this scenario – none other than Portuguese superstar Ruben Dias.

A domineering defender, Dias has everything a captain needs. Not only is he a brilliant player who has the respect of his City contemporaries, he is also a very intelligent defender who knows how to hold the Sky Blues’ back line together.

Some may point out the fact that he has only been at the club for two seasons – regardless, we feel that this is more than enough time for him to take the captaincy.

While it is likely that the armband will be donned by De Bruyne next season, we would urge Guardiola to not overlook the 26-year-old. He could be City’s captain for several years to come, as they look to continue their dominance over English football.