Speaking about Manchester City's new players in the summer of 2025, fans expect some faces to help boost the team's creativity after Kevin De Bruyne moved to Napoli.
The Belgian midfielder has established himself as one of the greatest players in Premier League history, with 119 assists - the second most in the league. In addition, 846 chances were created, also ranked second since the 2003-2004 season.
Even in recent seasons, when De Bruyne has often been absent due to injury, he has always been the name the team believes in to make a difference every time he appears on the pitch.
But the De Bruyne era has ended. Now, the task of unleashing creativity will belong to other names, in which Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki are expected to take on this key role.
Reijnders may not possess the natural creative qualities of De Bruyne, but he is a passing player between lines, able to handle pressure well when receiving the ball and ready to break through forward.
In Serie A last season, Reijnders made 47 passes to break the defense - the most in the league. The midfielder also ranks seventh in the number of breaks in the opposition midfield (147).
Many of Reijnders' passes were directed behind the opponent's full-backs. This is an attack direction that Man City will likely fully exploit next season, promising to bring many opportunities to Erling Haaland.
Not only are they good at providing, Reijnders are also a direct threat in front of goal. Last season, he scored 10 goals in Serie A, had 77 shots - 10th in the league and more than any other player who did not play as a striker. This number shows the decisiveness and lethality he brought from the midfield.
Next is Rayan Cherki. The French midfielder possesses an impromptu and unpredictable playing style. While De Bruyne often creates sharp passes like a scratch, Cherki relies on his quirkiness, individual technique and clever dribbling.
Overall, Cherki is one of the top playmakers in Europe. Only Bruno Fernandes (158) and Raphinha (152) created more chances than him (125) in all competitions in Europe's top five leagues last season.
If only counting live football, he is still in the top 4, only behind Fernandes (120), Raphinha (105) and Mohamed Salah (104).
However, if we consider the average rate of every 90 minutes, Cherki's influence is much more impressive. No player in Europe's top five leagues has created more chances than him in the 2024-2025 season - both overall (3.7) and from the back (2.9) - among those who have played at least 1,600 minutes.
Cherki's specific position at Man City is still a question mark. Although he is often deployed on the right wing, he played most explosively at Lyon when working in the center, where Cherki could move more flexibly and freely.
At the Etihad, will Cherki continue to be given such freedom or will he have to play more disciplined in Pep Guardiola's tight tactical system?
Regardless of the role, Cherki's adaptation promises to be very remarkable. But clearly, replacing De Bruyne will be a both arduous and challenging task.
