Manchester City: Could Pablo Maffeo be City's answer to Hector Bellerin?

The Barcelona-born right-back won plaudits for his performance at Old Trafford on Wednesday night. If he succeeds in the seasons to come, he could save his club a lot of money

Maffeo clashes with Marcus Rashford during Wednesday's EFL Cup fixture (Getty)

When Pep Guardiola took over at Manchester City, he knew the team needed more pace at full-back. He wanted a new young quick player on each side, and his priority was Hector Bellerin. At 21 years old, with two full seasons of Premier League experience, and a Barcelona education before that, he would have been the perfect man to give City width and speed on the right.

Arsenal, of course, had no interest in negotiating with City for their most exciting young player for years. Bellerin himself would rather go back to Barcelona, than to Manchester, if he were to leave the Emirates Stadium.

What City need this season, at least until they can try again, is something close to a Bellerin of their own. Which is why the club are so keen on Pablo Maffeo. He is City’s own little Catalan right back, two years younger than Bellerin at 19, not quite from Barcelona but from Sant Joan Despi, just outside.

Maffeo and compatriot Aleix Garcia were City’s only positives on Wednesday night in what was otherwise a flat performance, losing 1-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Guardiola praised the pair of them for going toe-to-toe with Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, far bigger than them, on the biggest stage of their careers so far.

What Maffeo gave City was something they have lacked for the last few years, relentless speed down the right hand side. Pablo Zabaleta is 31 now and has lost his burst of pace ever since missing the first half of last season with knee problems. Sagna is almost 34 and is not as quick as he was at his Arsenal peak either. On the opposite side, Gael Clichy is 31 and Aleksandar Kolarov, now learning to play at centre-back, is 30. This is why Maffeo is so attractive to City, and why his big display at Old Trafford could not have been better timed. There is now clamour for him to start at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, City’s next Premier League game.

That would only be his third City appearance, having made his debut against Steaua Bucharest in the dead Champions League play-off second leg game in August. But Guardiola clearly rates him highly, and his success is a testament to City’s policy of signing the best Spanish talent at 16.


 Maffeo and Pogba tussle for the ball during on Wednesday night 
 (Getty)

Maffeo began his education at Espanyol at the age of six, but he left and signed for City close to his 16th birthday, in July 2013. His agent is Pere Guardiola, Pep’s brother, with whom City naturally have close ties. Pere also advises Brahim Diaz, thought to be the next big talent to emerge from the City academy, who joined at a young age from Malaga.

After impressing in City’s youth teams, Maffeo was sent on loan last year to Girona, the Segunda Division team with whom Pere Guardiola is closely involved. City also loaned Ruben Sobrino and Chidiebere Nwakali to Girona, while signing their youngster Florian Lejeune and immediately loaning him back there. The two clubs retain strong links.

Maffeo did well in the tough world of competitive football, and having impressed again in pre-season this summer, Guardiola decided to keep him. Bersant Celina, Brandon Barker, Manu Garcia and Enes Unal were all loaned out, but Maffeo stayed. He may be at City for a long time.