Manchester City's emergence as the dominant force in English, and indeed European football, has been underpinned by their exceptional recruitment record - with huge investments only being signed off after extensive deliberation behind the scenes.
The likes of Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Yaya Toure and Kevin De Bruyne have all established themselves as modern-day legends at the Etihad Stadium over the past decade as City have filled up their trophy cabinet with numerous domestic honours, and a maiden Champions League crown. That long-awaited continental triumph came last season, with Erling Haaland painted as the main hero for Guardiola's treble-winning side after a stunning 52-goal debut year in Manchester.
The likes of Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Ruben Dias also received plenty of plaudits, but the most important member of the team went under the radar once again. Bernardo Silva has been City's puppet-master ever since his £43 million ($53m) move to City from Monaco in 2017, dictating the pace of games and subtlety directing his team-mates on how best to cause maximum damage in opposition territory.
Bernardo is not a prolific goalscorer, and isn't the man City rely on to create the bulk of their chances - but he is their orchestrator, and works harder than anyone else in the squad. The Portugal international is also one of the most skilful players of his generation, and his versatility has been essential to his club's unprecedented success under Guardiola.
City would simply not be where they are today without Bernardo. And by convincing him to sign a three-year contract extension in August, Guardiola ensured that the Blues would remain the team to beat at home and abroad in 2023-24...