Manchester City are preparing to let some stars leave this summer, including John Stones and Ilkay Gundogan. Coach Pep Guardiola wants to continue to reform his squad after a disappointing season.
The Etihad team has been active in the January transfer window and this year's summer market. They fell behind Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League title race last season. In addition to player procurement, liquidating a series of stars that are no longer in the plan is also a priority for The Citizens.
Guardiola is said to want to work with a smaller squad and therefore, some big names may leave this summer. Among them, according to The Athletic, there is Stones, a key player of Man City throughout their recent successful period. The 31-year-old defender himself is also willing to accept this as the club enters a new era.
Gundogan is another familiar name that could be dropped, despite only returning to the Etihad last summer after 12 months at Barcelona. The veteran midfielder and Mateo Kovacic are considered likely to leave as Man City are looking to streamline their squad.
Nico O'Reilly, Claudio Echeverri and Oscar Bobb are three other players believed to be in a similar situation. In addition, some young Man City players are also considered for loan to accumulate more experience.
O'Reilly will be a surprise deal if he leaves after making a significant impact in the second half of the 2024-2025 campaign. The 20-year-old left many impressions in the left-back position.
Among the names listed, Stones will be the most notable departure. He has made more than 270 appearances for City since joining Everton in 2016.
Despite being a key member of Guardiola's squad over the years, Stones suffered injuries last season and only made 11 Premier League appearances. Abdukodir Khusanov was recruited by Man City from Lens in January to add depth to the defense.
Man City is very active in the transfer market. The Etihad team has successfully recruited new players such as Tijjani Reinders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki, with a total fee of more than 150 million pounds.
They have also just signed a contract with Puma, with a record figure of 1 billion pounds for 10 years, an average of 100 million pounds per year. This is the first sponsorship deal in football history to reach the £1 billion mark.
Guardiola and his students will have a pre-season friendly against Palermo on August 9. This is considered an important time for the Spanish captain to reform the squad.
