The coach is desperate to trim his group of players down to keep them motivated - and here is who he should be looking to offload
Pep Guardiola has two topics he keeps on coming back to whenever he speaks to the media. The first is the match schedule, particularly how the television companies often give Manchester City unfavourable treatment, such as making them play on a Saturday after a gruelling Wednesday Champions League encounter or giving them just two days' rest for a Carabao Cup tie.
City fans feel proud when he does this, as he is fighting for their cause against an establishment they feel is out to get them, although Guardiola is far from alone when it comes to complaining about when matches are arranged.
The Catalan's other favourite topic of conversation is more unique to him, the matter of the size of his squad. Guardiola fervently believes in having a small unit of players where everyone is motivated because they play regularly, rather than a bloated roster where players feel apathetic after being repeatedly overlooked. And not even City's injury crisis of last season, when they had to supplement their squad with academy players and sign four new recruits in January, has persuaded him to change course.
The City boss stressed the need to trim down his squad during the Club World Cup, and did so again after his side's emphatic 4-0 win at Wolves on the opening day of the Premier League season: "Too many people. I like a deep squad to compete in all competitions, but I don't want to leave players at home. It's not healthy. In the next two weeks, people will talk with players and agents to find a solution."
Guardiola's ideal squad size is 23 players, as it was when City last won the title in 2023-24, but his current group numbers 30 even after Vitor Reis, Jack Grealish and summer signing Sven Nyerre left on loan to Girona, Everton and Middlesbrough, respectively. So with less than two weeks to go before the transfer window shuts, who should City move on to give Guardiola the streamlined, super-motivated squad he so desires?