Josko Gvardiol, Bruno Fernandes react to Man City star Ruben Dias’ message
Ruben Dias gained the attention of several Premier League stars as the centre-back continued to star away from Man City.
The experienced 28-year-old helped lead Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal team to the Nations League title against Spain, keeping the likes of Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal quiet on Sunday, 8 June.
It has been a struggle for Pep Guardiola and his players during the last year at the Etihad Stadium, but it is clear that the group of Portuguese stars are still enjoying their football on international duty.
Playing alongside Man City-exit linked midfielder Bernardo Silva, and putting rivalries aside to play with Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Jota, Roberto Martinez’s side eventually beat Spain on penalties in Germany.
Ruben Dias lifts silverware away from Man City
Taking to Instagram (9 June), Dias wrote: “UEFA Nations League x2,” with a trophy emoji after beating Spain to the title on penalties on Sunday, 8 June.
Josko Gvardiol was the first of his Man City teammates to like the post, joined by Chelsea’s on-loan attacker Joao Felix, and the likes of Diogo Jota, Bruno Fernandes, and Diogo Jota.
Jack Grealish, who is expected to leave Man City this summer, commented with several clapping emojis as Portugal celebrated lifting their first trophy since 2016.
Pep Guardiola to build new squad around stars next season
Football Insider verdict
Guardiola has already started a huge summer rebuild at the Etihad, with the Citizens closing in on moves for Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, with Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri likely to follow suit at Man City.
City’s poor form across all competitions saw Guardiola come under a lot of pressure during the season, with some fans even expecting the Catalan to part ways with the club ahead of the summer.
It appears, however, that the 54-year-old is going nowhere and is already making exciting plans ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, attempting to keep up with the teams also fighting for the Premier League title.
This will mean moving several players on, though, and with Kevin De Bruyne already leaving, there could be multiple emotional exits before the new league campaign kicks off.
Grealish, John Stones, Ederson, and Mateo Kovacic are all expected to find new clubs, and with multiple signings incoming at the Etihad for big money, it is no surprise as to why.
While it has not been a stellar season for anyone at the club, Dias has remained a constant figure at the back and is likely to keep his spot in the starting lineup as Guardiola attempts to build something new.