Yan Couto has admitted that he dreams of being coached by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
The 21-year-old, who is presently on loan at Girona, has lived up to the high expectations placed on him while playing in Spain.
That being said, there has always been speculation about Couto’s potential to play at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola prefers Walker at the moment
The right-back spot has been occupied by Kyle Walker still playing for the Premier League champions.
Pedro Porro, who now plays at Tottenham, was also a young-right back at Man City a few years ago but he failed to make it to the starting line up of Guardiola’s star studded team.
Porro was sent out on loan before being eventually sold to Sporting Lisbon.
However, the Brazilian’s situation may differ from that of the Spurs defender since, according to rumours, he is seen as Man City’s long-term replacement for Walker.
Moreover, it was reported that the treble-winners planned to include Couto in their squad for next season, and Guardiola was said to be eager to do the same.
Couto said in an interview with TNT Sports Brazil that he would like working under Guardiola at Man City.
“I don’t always have contact with [Pep] Guardiola. But whenever I’m there we talk, he’s a very nice person, he’s always open to listening to us. So I think that’s why he’s so successful and he’s a really good team player. So let’s see, I dream of playing with him because he’s an extraordinary coach. And I hope that one day I can play with him”, he said.
Couto is desperate to play under Pep Guardiola
Although Couto has obvious skill, it remains to be seen if Guardiola and Man City will be interested in his profile.
Guardiola has prioritised defensive full-backs since the previous season, but the young player’s defensive quality is lacking, particularly when it comes to winning duels and one-on-one situations.
Even though Couto has already recorded eight assists in La Liga this season, it will be intriguing to see if his offensive prowess will be enough for the Man City manager going ahead.
