“Manchester city has discovered a natural replacement for four players with one tactical change-BREAKING NEWS – Pep Guardiola has unlocked a replacement for Kyle Walker, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Julian Alvarez in one player – who cost absolutely nothing.You can’t believe who this is 😳😳

When Pep Guardiola says he’s never coached a player like Rico Lewis, it’s easy to understand why.

 

Guardiola has worked with some of the best footballers in history, including Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Sergio Aguero, and Erling Haaland. He’s transformed top defenders into midfield dynamos and nurtured players who will be remembered as all-time greats. Yet, despite his illustrious career, Rico Lewis stands out. Though still early in his career, Lewis is shaping up to be the quintessential ‘Guardiola player’—one who defies positional boundaries, capable of playing everywhere at once, and now developing an attacking threat as well.

 

In City’s recent match against Slovan Bratislava, where Guardiola made six changes, Lewis retained his place but was deployed further up the pitch while still covering his right-back duties. While Slovan isn’t the most challenging opposition, they, like many teams, tried to limit Lewis’ influence by focusing on physicality rather than attempting to predict his movements. Lewis, still developing, accepts that he is far from a finished product.

 

Despite that, Lewis has already started nine games this season, clearly overtaking Kyle Walker in the pecking order—largely because of his versatility. He’s no longer just inverting into midfield positions like a number six or eight; this season, he’s even operated as a false nine. Recently, he’s added roles as a number 10 and second striker to his repertoire. His unique ability is that he can seemingly play all these roles simultaneously. Even when he’s not physically at right-back, you can be sure he’ll be there when needed.

 

Tuesday’s match against Slovan showcased just how much Lewis has progressed in the last few months. When City had possession, Lewis drifted into areas near Haaland, occupying spaces where Julian Alvarez previously thrived. He frequently connected with Jeremy Doku out wide or advanced to the byline to provide cutbacks for Haaland—quintessential Guardiola-style play. At other moments, he dropped into midfield, showing the awareness required of an inverted full-back, splitting defenses and assisting Haaland’s goal with a move that could have been executed by Kevin De Bruyne or David Silva. Minutes later, he was back at right-back when Slovan countered.

 

It’s no exaggeration to say Lewis is currently keeping Walker out of the team, compensating for the absence of Rodri, replicating De Bruyne’s creativity, and even linking up play like Alvarez. Having recorded four assists in 50 appearances before this season, Lewis has already delivered three assists in nine games this term. His initial ambition of playing more in midfield seems almost redundant now, as he appears anywhere between Haaland and Ederson, constantly influencing the game.

 

When Haaland was substituted, Lewis briefly filled in as a number nine. By the end of the match, after more substitutions, he was playing on the left wing. He might even back himself as a goalkeeper if given the chance.

 

As Guardiola continues to search for a system without some of his key players, it’s clear that Lewis is essential to his plans. After the game, Guardiola summed it up perfectly: “The way Rico is playing, there are no words. He does everything.

 

• “He is playing at the highest level. You can count on him—he always has the ability to be free, makes incredible kilometres, so he’s there all the time. He is intelligent when you have to control. As a manager, this attribute is massively important. Intelligence is the biggest attribute,  and he has it.”