Gerrard: City need strengthening at the back

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard believes Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola must bolster his defensive options in the summer and has identified leadership as a key attribute in any potential transfer target.

Gerrard has been impressed by the return of Belgian defender Vincent Kompany after he completed 90 minutes and scored a goal in City’s 3-1 win over Southampton on Saturday.

But the former Reds skipper believes they need more defenders like the Belgian, comparing him to various leaders playing around Europe.

And Gerrard even touted injured Saints defender Virgil Van Dijk as a target for Guardiola in the summer as he prepares his side to take on Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley on Sunday.

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

“City have had massive investment but still haven’t got it right,” said Gerrard.

“They look a different team when [Vincent] Kompany is back in – he’s a massive leader for them.

“You look at [Juventus star] Leonardo Bonucci, he loves defending. Mats Hummels is another one – they’re all about important defending and leadership.

“You see what it means to world-class defenders, they absolutely love defending.

“[Virgil] Van Dijk is another possibility – he’s a big powerful defender and very quick. He handles top Premier League strikers well.”