Stones heads list of SIX stars made available by Man City in summer clearout

Manchester City and England defender John Stones is among a number of players who could be moved on by the former Premier League champions in the summer transfer window

Manchester City are prepared to sanction exits for a handful of established stars this summer including the likes of John Stones and Ilkay Gundogan as Pep Guardiola continues to reshape his playing squad.

The former Premier League champions have been active both this summer and in the January transfer window after falling behind Liverpool and Arsenal in the title race last season. And while further incomings are possible, a number of exits are also expected.

Guardiola is understood to want to work with a smaller squad and, as such, some big names could be on the move this summer.

Among them, The Athletic say, is Stones, who has been a pivotal player for Manchester City during a period of sustained success for the club.

But the England defender, 31, is said to be available for transfer this summer as City move forward into a new era.

Gundogan, 34, is another household name who could be culled despite the fact he only returned to The Etihad last summer following a 12 month stint at Barcelona.

The veteran midfielder joins Mateo Kovacic in being 'touted' as a potential departee with the club looking to trim their squad.

Nico O’Reilly, Claudio Echeverri and Oscar Bobb are the three other players who said to be in the same boat as their team-mates, though the same report adds Bobb is unlikely to leave The Etihad this summer. It's also noted that some could leave on loan rather than permanently.

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O'Reilly, 20, would be a surprise sale if he were to depart after making a significant impact during the latter half of the 2024-25 campaign while playing as a makeshift left-back.

Of the names listed, Stones would be the biggest departure after making over 270 appearances for City since joining the club from Everton all the way back in 2016.

Despite his status as a key member of Guardiola's squad in years gone by, Stones was plagued by injuries last term and restricted to just 11 appearances in the Premier League. Abdukodir Khusanov was signed from Lens in January to add more depth to a defensive unit which had previously helped steer City to four consecutive domestic titles.