Former Liverpool star Jason McAteer believes that Fernandinho, despite being a midfielder by trade, is the best centre-back in the Manchester City squad.
Aymeric Laporte’s injury has forced Pep Guardiola to use Fernandinho at the heart of his side’s defence this season after he failed to sign a replacement for Vincent Kompany in the summer.
Manchester City have continued to look shaky at the back and could be further tested at Liverpool this coming weekend.
McAteer is of the view that Manchester City’s defence is their soft underbelly and Fernandinho is better than all the other centre-backs in Guardiola’s expensively assembled squad.
He says that the Manchester City’s manager aversion to signing a top-class centre-back has been a surprise as he believes none of the other senior options are good enough.
The former midfielder insisted that Laporte, Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones all have glaring deficiencies in their game.
McAteer said on LFC TV after Liverpool beat Genk: “I think that is their Achilles heels, their two centre-halves.
“I am not a fan of Stones.
“I think Fernandinho, despite being a central midfielder, playing centre-half has helped them.
“[He is better than] what they have got. I would have Fernandinho first rather than any one of them three – Laporte, Stones and Otamendi.
“I think they are really poor, I think Laporte is a better left-back than centre-half.
“I cannot believe Guardiola has not gone and bought a [Kalidou] Koulibaly – world-class centre-halves.
“I think Otamendi has lost his pace, he overelaborate on the ball and I think he gets caught out of position too many times.
“You can get at Stones, I think his confidence can be shot and he can be a bag of nerves.”
It remains to be seen what system Guardiola employs at Anfield on Sunday to protect his Manchester City’s defence against Liverpool.
