Manchester City have been busy in the transfer market, bringing in four fresh faces this summer. But if their rebuild is to continue, outgoings are now essential. According to a report from The Athletic, Pep Guardiola has drawn up a six-man list of players he’s ready to offload ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. Following a rare trophyless season - the Cityzens' first without silverware since Guardiola’s debut campaign in 2016/17 - the Spaniard is looking at masterminding a squad overhaul. Last term’s slump saw the previous four-peat English champions falter early in the title race, prompting a reset behind the scenes at the turn of the year. Midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has arrived in a £46 million deal from AC Milan, while playmaker Rayan Cherki joined from Lyon for around £34 million. The club also snapped up Wolves left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri in a £31 million move and secured a back-up goalkeeper, with Marcus Bettinelli signing a one-year deal. But the hierarchy’s next focus is on shifting deadwood - though some of the names on the potential chopping block could raise a few eyebrows.
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Guardiola told reporters at the end of last season that he wanted a smaller squad for the upcoming campaign - going so far as to threaten to walk away from his role before his contract expires next summer if his demands weren't met. Kyle Walker has already completed a move to newly promoted Burnley, but six more players are reportedly being considered by Guardiola for the Etihad Stadium departure lounge.
Among them is John Stones - undeniably one of the most pivotal defenders of the Guardiola era. A treble-winning icon with 277 appearances since joining in the Spaniard’s first transfer window in 2016, his legacy is firmly cemented. However, recurring injuries have taken their toll, with the England international featuring in just 11 Premier League games last season and not making a domestic appearance since February.
The other stars included in the list of Man City's potential list of departures are Nico O'Reilly, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Claudio Echeverri and Oscar Bobb. The report adds, however, that it is "very unlikely" that Bobb will be allowed to leave after he missed the majority of last season due to a fractured leg.
Kovacic filled in well for the injured Rodri last season, and was often hailed for his versatility in the middle of the park. For Gundogan, it would mean the end of his second stint at the club after rejoining for free last summer, while Echeverri - one of the best teenagers in world football - also only joined last summer, but appears to be a castaway after making just one appearance.