Man City boss set for busy summer of sales, so who makes the cut?
Published:
It’s been an eventful start to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City career to say the least. 10 games unbeaten in all competitions at the start of the season suggested that he’d got English football sussed out. But since then, it’s been reported this may be his only year at the club.
Things have settled down again now though, with the Citizens being forced to rethink their ambitions for the campaign.
And already with one eye on next season, it’s reported Pep is keen to offload up to 11 first-team squad members in the summer.
But who’ll make the cut? Ladbrokes News runs through a handful of City’s key players this year, giving our verdict on whether they’ll stay or go…
Claudio Bravo – Guardiola won’t admit defeat that easily. After a year in England, it’s likely Bravo will be a much more dominant presence next campaign.
Verdict? STAY
Vincent Kompany – Even when fit, it’s hard to envisage the City skipper adapting his style to suit his manager. At 30, there’s still a couple of good years to come from the Belgium international. Unfortunately for him though, we can’t see them being at the Etihad.
Verdict? GO
John Stones – He’s come under some serious criticism this season, and has started just three of City’s league games since the turn of the year. But much of that has been to do with the amount the Citizens paid for him – something he had no control over. In short, he’s everything Pep wants in a centre-back, he just needs the right partner alongside him.
Verdict? STAY
Yaya Toure – This is one worth watching over the summer. After making up with his manager in December, Toure has had a key role to play for City in recent months. But he turns 34 at the end of the season, and there’ll be question marks over his ability to physically keep up with Guardiola’s demands.
Verdict? GO
Jesus Navas – He’s played a huge role for City out wide in recent years, racking up 99 Premier League appearances in three years prior to Pep’s arrival. But he’s started just six league games under his new boss, and the arrival of both Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus in the summer, coupled with the presence of Raheem Sterling, suggests the former Barca boss is opting for youth over experience. That’s bad news for the 31-year-old, who should look elsewhere in the summer.
Verdict? GO
Sergio Aguero – And that leads us nicely onto arguably the biggest name on this list. We’re told he’s not a ‘Guardiola-type’ player, something which seems to be the case for almost half the squad the Spanish boss inherited. And despite netting 18 goals in all competitions so far this year, speculation surrounding Aguero’s Etihad exit is intensifying tenfold. Plenty of clubs are keeping tabs on any developments, and as things stand it’s looking increasingly likely that this will be the Argentine’s last season in Manchester.
Verdict? GO
From our assessment, it’s clear the Manchester City revolution has begun. But would Guardiola be right to wave goodbye to so many influential figures in one transfer window?
Have your say in the comments section below!
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
