Eliminated from the Champions League and out of the Premier League race, the Etihad Stadium is readying itself for the departure of several players who were key to past successes.
Injuries, inconsistency, and a lack of results have derailed Manchester City’s campaign, with February seemingly marking the end of their season. The FA Cup and a top-four (or maybe five) finish to secure Champions League football are all that remain for a side now 17 points behind the league leaders Liverpool – who visit the Etihad on Sunday – and already eliminated from European competition. Humbled. Forced to accept defeat. Facing the need to rebuild.
Pep Guardiola made that reality clear in Friday’s press conference: “We have to sit down with the doctors, the players, and their agents and be honest that some simply can’t play every three or four days. There are players who can no longer maintain the level they once did, week after week. That’s our biggest problem right now. Their quality is unquestionable, but we can’t use it because they’re injured, and then they need time to recover.”
The Catalan coach all but announced the end of an era at Man City.
Transfer spending and looming departures
After spending $242 million on four new signings in January, City’s hierarchy is already planning for the summer transfer window. According to The Daily Mail, the club is prepared to part ways with several key players from recent seasons to refresh the squad.
This wouldn’t be the first major overhaul under Guardiola. A similar reaction followed City’s Champions League exit at the hands of Monaco in his first season in charge. Eight players left that summer, including Willy Caballero, Gaël Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Aleksandar Kolarov, Jesús Navas, Yaya Touré, Pablo Zabaleta, and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish, once instrumental to City’s success, have suffered a dip in form. John Stones has been plagued by injuries, while The Daily Mail also listed Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes among those with uncertain futures.
Kevin De Bruyne could be another high-profile exit. The Belgian, out of contract in June, was left on the bench at the Bernabéu despite his team’s urgent need for a result. No agreement has been reached regarding his future, though Guardiola has always maintained that the final decision will rest with De Bruyne himself.