Last season, Manchester City won not just their fifth Premier League title in six years, but also the Champions League trophy, completing a historic trifecta after also winning the FA Cup final....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Despite their recent supremacy in English football, some of its current stars have been linked with departures.
Despite their best efforts to keep him, captain Ilkay Gundogan has already left on a free transfer to Xavi’s Barcelona, and others have sparked interest from elsewhere as well.
After his heroics for England’s U21 team at the European Championships, academy custodian James Trafford has negotiated a €22 million move to newly promoted Burnley.
Man City sold Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, and Oleksandr Zinchenko last summer, with the former going to Chelsea and the latter two going to Arsenal.
Pep Guardiola’s team earned €143.5 million from the sale of the three players, which they reinvested on Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Sergio Gomez, and Manuel Akanji.
1. Joao Cancelo
Another former Pep Guardiola favourite, Joao Cancelo, fell out of favour at the end of last season and was loaned to Bayern Munich. He had a mixed tenure in Bavaria, and the German champions refused to extend his stay.
On his return to Manchester, Cancelo has found a different system in place, one in which Pep frequently trusts Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake – both centre-backs by trade – in the full-back positions, with John Stones flying between defence and midfield from a more central position.
It remains to be seen where Cancelo ends up, but the chances of it being at the Etihad are dwindling.
2. Aymeric Laporte
Aymeric Laporte, a ball-playing left-footed centre-back with a flair for scoring huge goals, may have matched the aforementioned system, but knee surgery last summer disrupted his Man City career, and an exit now appears imminent.
Barcelona has been linked with the French-born Spain international, but another club will be required to afford a player valued at €42.3m by FootballTransfers’ in-house algorithm and under contract until 2025.
The anticipated arrival of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig could push Laporte even closer to the exit door.
3. Kalvin Phillips
The England international arrived with a shoulder complaint, but that injury hasn’t been deemed serious since November, and he still only made two Premier League starts last season. Rodri – and now Stones – now dominate the defensive midfield position he would like to occupy, while Mateo Kovacic’s arrival complicates matters further.
4. Kyle Walker
Guardiola may have utilised Walker on a regular basis towards the conclusion of last season, but the England international was benched for the Champions League final and does not fit into Guardiola’s new system.
Bayern Munich have expressed an interest in signing him, although he has yet to accept City’s most recent contract offer. His current contract is slated to expire in 2024, therefore Man City may want to unload him if he does not sign a new contract shortly.
5. Bernardo Silva
Bernardo Silva has been linked with a move away from Manchester City in recent seasons, but he has remained thus far. Despite being a regular figure in Guardiola’s last season, this summer could be his last in Manchester.
The Portuguese international’s current contract expires in two years, and Al-Hilal of the Saudi Pro League are apparently poised to offer Man City €70 million to sign him this summer.
Furthermore, they are willing to pay the athlete a whopping €50 million every year….READFULL
