At Manchester City, replacing two of them at the same time may define the next phase post the Pep Guardiola era.
With Bernardo Silva and John Stones to leave this summer, former City striker Paul Dickov believes the club are preparing for a major leadership transition — but insists the structure already exists to cope with it.
“I think there’s always been a contingency plan,” Dickov told Football Presse.
“That’s what I’m saying about the club being run so well from top to bottom.”
Dickov admits modern football leadership has changed dramatically from his own playing days. While he still prefers the traditional model of one captain and one vice-captain, Guardiola’s City have embraced a broader leadership group.
“I didn’t quite get it at first,” Dickov admitted. “That’s probably me being a little bit old school.
“But now clubs don’t just look at one person to be the leader. They look for four or five.”
According to Dickov, that next generation is already visible.
Rúben Dias has frequently worn the armband, while new signing Marc Guéhi has brought captaincy experience from Crystal Palace, despite his relatively young age. Even Erling Haaland has increasingly stepped into leadership territory.
“There’ll definitely be another leadership group going into next season,” Dickov said.
But while succession planning may already be underway, Dickov admits losing Stones will hit him particularly hard.
“John Stones is one of my favourite players ever,” he told Football Presse on behalf of gamblemind.co.uk.
“I think it’s a crying shame with the injuries he’s had.”
For Dickov, Stones represents one of Guardiola’s greatest tactical evolutions — a defender capable of functioning almost anywhere on the pitch.
He pointed specifically to the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final, where Stones famously drifted from centre-half into midfield and advanced areas during City’s historic Treble-winning victory.
“I’ll always go back to that performance in the Champions League final,” Dickov said.
“He started at centre-half but ended up playing almost as a number 10.
“I think he broke the record for more dribbles than Lionel Messi in a Champions League final. That just shows what a wonderful footballer he is.”
Beyond his technical qualities, Dickov says Stones’ personality has made him beloved inside the club.
“He’s loved around the place as well,” he added.
And if this truly is the end of an era for Stones and Bernardo Silva at City, Dickov believes their influence will stretch far beyond trophies alone.