Manchester City have had a strong start to the transfer windows but will do well to get everything they want
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LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 7: At the final whistle, Referee Robert Jones is swarmed by discontent Manchester City players including Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Manchester City FC at Selhurst Park on December 7, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish need to sort Manchester City exits
The start to the summer could not have gone much better for Manchester City. They have made four new signings already, done the bulk of the work on a fifth, and also brought in new coaches to help Pep Guardiola.
On top of that, all of those deals have been met with a broadly positive consensus. City fans are excited by the new signings and even rivals have had to hold their hands up at the value the Blues look to have achieved as they have strengthened the squad.
Having sorted the bulk of their incomings, the majority of the remaining window will be spent balancing the squad with outgoings. Guardiola has taken 27 players to the United States and that is a larger group than he likes to work with.
That doesn't even include two of the most high-profile players in Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker, who have both been left out to give them time to sort moves away from the Etihad. Told they aren't part of plans in Manchester for next season, it would have wasted everyone's time to take them to the Club World Cup.
That decision doesn't exactly help City in negotiations though, sending a clear message to sellers that their players are unwanted. Where buying clubs are motivated to get deals done early and pay what it takes for stars at the peak of their powers, that isn't the bracket that Walker and Grealish currently fit in.
Both are looking to prove that they still have what it takes to play at the top level, having earned bumper contracts and then seen their standards slide.
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Anyone who takes them on for next season is gambling on evidence that hasn't been obvious over the past 12 months, and the concerns may be enough to prevent anyone rushing in with a permanent deal.
Napoli have looked at Grealish and Everton have been linked with Grealish and Walker, yet the caveats have already started to appear in terms of getting a deal done. City look to have a job on their hands getting a permanent sale that can give the players the clean break they need given their time at the Etihad is up.
City have received plenty of praise for their incomings this summer, but some of Hugo Viana's best work could be if he manages to overcome the same stumbling block with these two exits.
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