Manchester City's period of dominance, inspired by Josep Guardiola, was characterized by the head coach constantly seeking to evolve the team, often through sales within the Premier League. .
They won't regret sending Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal, but they may regret the decision to sign Golden Boot candidate Cole Palmer to Chelsea last summer.
With Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Guimarães linked to signing for Man City before next season, funds need to be freed up, so who will Palmer be in this summer's slot? ?
While Spanish media makes the following claims, Manager Guardiola “hopes to release five players'' this summerWe've ranked that quintet (plus five City stars linked to a departure) from least likely to leave for the 2024/25 season…
10) Erling Haaland
Roy Keane's favorite 'League 2 player'Haaland has some work to do to become a complete striker following Harry Kane, but his finishing ability will no doubt make up for it.
The Norwegian international has had a below-average season by his standards, but he still managed to score 31 goals in 39 appearances, sparking rumors of links with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. No wonder.
However, Barcelona are still struggling financially and Real Madrid are focused on Kylian Mbappé this summer. Operation Haaland is likely to be postponed until 2025.
9) Kyle Walker
The 33-year-old experienced full-back has extended his contract until 2026 after being pursued by Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich last summer.
Walker has captained last season's Triple Crown winning side for the majority of this season, starting 39 games in all competitions.Guardiola apparently 'hopes' he will leave in the summer, but given his continued importance at the Etihad, it is unlikely he leaves in the summer. Despite the fact that he “never said never” about a move to the Saudi Pro League.
8) Mateus Nunez
Former Liverpool target Kalvin Phillips' £53m move to Man City was a further blow for him (more on him below). The arrival of another midfielder has pushed the West Ham loanee further down the pecking order at the Etihad.
While his debut season with Man City wasn't as bad as Phillips' last season, Nunez hasn't played as well as he would have liked, with just nine starts in the Premier League.
Reports linking Nunez, a victim of Rodri's brilliance, to an early departure are understandable given the comparisons to Phillips, but he's likely to stick around for another season.
Could Kyle Walker and Matheus Nunez leave in the summer? Probably not…
7) Jack Grealish
The 28-year-old has been negatively affected by the arrival of Jeremy Doku this season and has received some tough love from Guardiola as he struggles to reproduce his form from last season.
Grealish still feels like he's playing inside himself in a City shirt, but Guardiola trusted him so much that he started both games against Real Madrid, so the head coach clearly still believes in his £100 million man.
It would be good to see Grealish back in an Aston Villa jersey one day, but the huge fee paid to him in 2021 could ensure a return to his boyhood club becomes lower.
Read more: Man City transfer's arrogance means they *only* win a double, but their win is an easy lesson to learn
6) Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne's greatness has been under-appreciated this season due to injuries, but he has still been involved in 19 goals this season, which is a pretty ridiculous number.
So it's no wonder Guardiola is reported to be 'most worried' about De Bruyne leaving the club in the summer.
De Bruyne has joined Liverpool's Mohamed Salah as a top target in the Saudi Pro League, so a departure cannot be completely ruled out, especially as his current contract expires in 2025. But at 32 years old, he still has a lot to offer. City's optimists will be hoping he accepts less Premier League money than the eye-watering sum offered by Saudi Arabia.
5) Sergio Gomez
Marc Cucurella's struggles at Chelsea justified Man City pulling out of the £62m signing, but Gomez, signed as a low-cost replacement for around £11m, is completely ineffective at the Etihad. is not fully demonstrated.
Having not made a single Premier League start this season, Gomez's long-term future at Man City is in doubt, but if he cashes in on his 23-year contract he'll probably get his money back without a problem (or Even if it's just a small profit). – Old in the summer.
4) Stefan Ortega
Much like Caoich Kelleher in Alisson Becker's absence, Ortega has been a substitute for Man City in Ederson's absence this season.
Ortega's performances have proven he is one of the best reserve goalkeepers in the Premier League, but Ederson remains firmly established as Guardiola's preferred shot-stopper, with the 31-year-old now on the move. should be allowed to be enforced. He spent the last few years as another team's number one.
3) Bernardo Silva
Of Man City's outstanding talents, Silva is undoubtedly the most likely to move in the summer, with long-standing interest from FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain understood to be serious. .
Silva was a sensational signing for Man City, and his importance continues to grow after playing an integral role in last season's treble.
However, there are reports that Silva has already decided to leave the team.This summer would be a good time to say goodbye, especially since Man City are set to receive £50m due to the release clause in his current contract.
Read more: Haaland gets all the attention as Premier League clubs' poor seasons, but Casemiro doesn't.
2) Calvin Phillips
West Ham are reportedly 'shocked' by Phillips' performance Since joining the club on loan in January.
The move, which was widely expected to boost Phillips' Euro-bound hopes, drove another nail into the midfielder's coffin as a comedy of mistakes saw him quickly become a regular on the Hammers' bench.
A permanent deal is unlikely given Phillips' recent performances at West Ham, but his future at Man City looks equally bleak. Promotion to Leeds United and then a return to Elland Road is probably the only way he can remain a Premier League player for next season.
1) João Cancelo
There seems to be no way back for Phillips at Man City, but at least he hasn't been embroiled in a major rift with Guardiola.
The same cannot be said for Cancelo, who clashed with the Spanish manager before being unceremoniously loaned to Bayern Munich midway through last season.
Cancelo's struggles continued in Germany, but he did better in Barcelona. A second loan to the Camp Nou is probably most likely given the financial difficulties, but City could also accept a reduced fee to completely waive the unstable Portugal international's wages. .