Manchester City have failed to see the best out of some of their finest players this season.
Erling Haaland may have scored 28 goals in all competitions, but there have been spells where he has failed to demonstrate his true talents.
Elsewhere, Phil Foden is another player who has struggled at times. The Englishman has registered 16 goal contributions – ten goals and six assists – yet only three goals came in the Champions League against Sporting CP, Sparta Prague and Slovan Bratislava.
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When compared to his peers in the Premier League, Foden fails to rank in the top 55% for successful take-ons, progressive carries, touches in the opposition penalty area and progressive passes received per 90 this season.
This highlights how much he has regressed this term, and it appears as though City are approaching the end of a glorious era under Pep Guardiola.
Even Kevin De Bruyne hasn’t quite been at his best throughout the entire campaign, failing to inject the spark that City have so often required in 2025/26.
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Could this be his last one at the Etihad? Only time will tell.
Kevin De Bruyne’s season in numbers for Man City
During the early part of the season, a hamstring injury meant he played just four of their opening ten Premier League matches.
Overall, the Belgian maestro has started just 18 of his 29 games for the club in all competitions, scoring four goals and recording seven assists.
When compared to his fellow attacking midfielders in the Premier League this season, De Bruyne ranks in the bottom 79% for successful take-ons, the bottom 54% for progressive carries (3.03) and ranks in the top 45% for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90.
Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne
Hardly the statistics that the supporters have been used to over the years, and it could finally be time for the 33-year-old to think about his future.
Indeed, his contract expires this summer, meaning City could release him for nothing. Much will depend on what happens over the next few weeks, but considering he hasn’t been as productive as in previous seasons, combined with injury problems, De Buryne’s best days are behind him.
Guardiola may look to build a new side around the youngsters he signed in the winter transfer window, as well as those who have progressed through the academy in recent years.
City have let a few youngsters go in the past, however, with several finally showcasing their talents elsewhere. Players such as Morgan Rogers, Roméo Lavia, Jadon Sancho and James Trafford moved away from City in order to secure regular game time at other clubs.
All four have gone on to impress significantly over the years. But could someone who only departed the Etihad in 2020 be their biggest regret?
Man City let "England's next superstar" leave for £0
Now outperforming De Bruyne in the here and now, a certain Jamie Gittens is the player they must regret letting go all those years ago.
He made just two appearances for the City U18 side during the 2019/20 campaign, scoring once, before, like Jadon Sancho, he made the move to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2020.
His first two seasons were spent with the youth side, registering 11 goals and five assists, sufficiently impressing boss Marco Rose, who gave him his Bundesliga debut towards the end of the 2021/22 season.
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That summer, he signed a three-year contract extension due to take effect on his 18th birthday, and it has been a wise move by Dortmund, especially with his recent rise.
He was introduced to the senior squad slowly, making 20 first-team appearances throughout the 2022/23 season, before this increased to 34 games last term.
The youngster chipped in with two goals and five assists for the club in all competitions while even making a brief appearance in the Champions League final against Real Madrid, although they lost the tie 2-0.
It was all good experience for the 20-year-old as he aims to follow in the footsteps of his compatriots Sancho and Jude Bellingham by using Dortmund as a stepping stone in order to secure a big-money move away from Germany.
Gittens' stats in the Bundesliga this season
Goals
Assists
Big chances created
Successful dribbles per game
Key passes per game
Shots per game
Via Sofascore
Media outlet Get German Football News dubbed the winger as “England’s next superstar” back in September following an impressive start to the season and he has been so good throughout 2024/25, that the London-born starlet is even outperforming De Bruyne in a number of key performance metrics, proving how good a player he really is.
How Jamie Gittens compares to Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne has registered 11 goal contributions for City this term. For Dortmund, Gittens has scored 11 goals and grabbed four assists for the club in all competitions, with four goals coming in the Champions League.
When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the previous 365 days, Gittens ranks in the top 6% for progressive carries (5.93), the top 2% for successful take-ons (3.76) and in the top 5% for carries into the penalty area (3.21) per 90, highlighting how effective he has been in the final third, despite his tender years.
In comparison, De Bruyne ranks in the lowest 62% for progressive carries (2.92), the lowest 94% for successful take-ons (0.67), and the top 2% for carries into the opposition penalty area (1.05) when compared to his own peers across Europe’s top five leagues during the same time period.
These contrasting statistics clearly show that Gittens has been the most effective player in dangerous zones for their club and there is no doubt he will secure a move to a massive club sooner rather than later.
City must rue letting him go for nothing back in 2020, especially with his current rise to superstardom. Arsenal are thought to be mulling over a bid worth £83m for the speedster.
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It takes some impressive performances to consistently outperform a player such as De Bruyne, but Gittens is doing it and then some this season.
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