A potential concern at Manchester City is that several of their key players do not have many years left on their contracts now.
Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias and John Stones, three players who have been crucial to Pep Guardiola’s success will be out of contract next year.
Similarly, the likes of Rodri, Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol have two years left on their contracts as well.
Hugo Viana has impressed at Manchester City in the transfer market but surely, his next priority is to hand long-term deals to some of the aforementioned names.
Man City should let John Stones go next year
But in the case of a player like Stones, Viana will have a tough decision to make about his future.
Pep Guardiola confirmed Stones will stay in the following campaign but with his fitness being continually unreliable season after season, it might be time for Manchester City to let him go.
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Manchester City were open to selling Stones due to his injury woes and perhaps their apparent frustration was understandable, considering he has started a mere 18 Premier League games in the past two campaigns.
Even during City’s treble-winning season when the Englishman was at the peak of his powers, he started just 23 league games — which emphasises how much injuries have hampered his career.
While the former Everton defender has been incredible for Manchester City and could bounce back next season, it is also important to consider that he is 31.
Stones is not getting any younger and in Dias, Gvardiol, Abdukodir Khusanov, Manuel Akanji and Vitor Reis, Manchester City have plenty of centre-backs to rely upon if he leaves on a free transfer next year.
Injuries have also halted Ake’s progress but perhaps the reason why City may be tempted to extend his contract is because in the 2023/2024 and 2022/2023 seasons, he started a combined 46 league games.
Man City have already signed a Stones replacement
Pep Guardiola hugely admires Stones and considering he was the second signing of his Manchester City tenure, the Catalan must have a strong bond with the England international.
However, Guardiola was responsible for Kevin De Bruyne’s exit and yet, he was visibly emotional during the Belgian’s farewell as making tough decisions is part and parcel of elite football.
Manchester City rate Reis very highly and in terms of him being similarly calm on the ball, a smart reader of the game and lanky, he looks like a young Stones.
Khaldoon Al-Mubarak raved about Reis as well, expecting him to become a “tremendous” player at Manchester City and he could very well be the heir to the decorated defender.