admin Despite being crowned European champions for the first time, Manchester City are facing a summer of change. Several key players face the possibility of leaving.
Manchester City have just won the club’s first treble and first Champions League title, but Pep Guardiola’s side are poised for a major overhaul ahead of the summer.
After all, change is the only constant in life, and even the reigning king of Europe will experience personal change. City aren’t going to pick them all, and rumor has it that some of the stars are leaving the Etihad to seek new challenges.
Guardiola’s plans will depend heavily on City’s ability to persuade certain stars to stay, but it is likely that at least one key starter will leave in the coming weeks. There will also be more opportunities for academy-bred talent to emerge in the first team, as the club has relied largely on new investments to fill its ranks for many years.
Daily Star Sport looks at the seas of opportunity that await the blues and the seas they will fish this summer.
What do they need?
The answer to that question will only become clear once the club has a better idea of who will definitely be at the Etihad next season. Guardiola will want to know what Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez have planned for the 2023/24 season.
Gundogan, 32, is arguably the most urgently needed player as his contract expires at the end of June. Not to mention the pivotal role he played in that season. He assumed the role of senior coach and wore the captain’s armband throughout the three-game winning streak.
Then there are the cases of wingers Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva, who have been linked with moves to Al Ahly and Paris Saint-Germain respectively. Needless to say, if one or both of them leave, Mahrez and Silva are still under contract until 2025 and will need replacements who can play on the right.
Silva’s departure could complicate things, especially given the situation in Portugal International has been something of a short-term solution in some areas this semester. The exclusion of Gundogan would exacerbate the dilemma and increase the need for additional midfield reinforcements.
Homegrown talent Rico Ruiz has proven surprisingly adept in central roles in the second half of the season, while the likes of Maximo Perrone (20) and Cole Palmer (21) A young player might get more playing time. However, Guardiola believes the fate of the aforementioned trio could lead to more high-profile investments.
Arsene Wenger recently spoke about the aging of City’s squad and the need to rejuvenate depending on what Guardiola wants to achieve.
The former Arsenal manager told beIN SPORTS: ‘I have to say, at the celebrations, I thought, ‘What are you doing at City now?’ Will you accept the new challenge? Are you motivating yourself to take on new challenges?
“Or do you want to stay and use your achievements to further develop this team?” You could lose important players. This team is not an old team, but they are missing young players. Everyone else is between the ages of 24 and 32, except for [Erling] Harland, who is now 22. Therefore, two or three new players will have to change. They have to find the same quality again.
Who are they (probably) targeting?
City are already missing out on one of their key targets, and perhaps one of the most desirable midfielders in the world, after Real Madrid confirmed the signing of Jude Bellingham. That could increase City’s chances of betting on Croatian Mateo Kovacic.
The Chelsea playmaker has been linked with a move to the Etihad in recent months, and it’s easy to see why the idea of a move from Stamford Bridge would resonate after such a nightmare season. He is not the only Croatian to be linked with City, as RB Leipzig forward Josko Gvardiol is also rumored to be in the squad.
The 21-year-old Gvaldior fits into Guardiola’s plan to recruit young talent for a central defence, where he can keep the ball at his feet. City have regularly cut back and made changes to their defense at the end of the season, thanks to a wealth of talent in top-class centre-backs. However, Gbaldior’s price is expected to exceed £60m, so other priorities may take precedence.
The Premier League champions may need to move someone to make room for such a reinforcement, and with reports that Aston Villa and Unai Emery are interested. , Aymeric Laporte could be the name.
