The 8 Man City Players Pep Guardiola Wants to Sell This Summer.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is poised to initiate a mass sale in the summer after his side’s premature Champions League exit, according to the Daily Star, and a total of eight players are set to ruthlessly be on the chopping block.
The four-in-a-row Premier League winners needed a red-hot performance at the Santiago Bernabeu to overturn their one-goal deficit on the back of the first leg – a 3-2 loss to Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium. Things went from bad to worse in Spain.
Succumbing to a rampant Los Blancos at Europe’s top table on Wednesday evening, Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick knocked the Premier League outfit for six before Nico Gonzalez, scoring his first since joining in January, struck a late consolation.
In the immediate aftermath of their disappointing night on Madrid soil, a report has suggested that Guardiola – widely regarded as one of the best football managers in football history – is preparing to sell eight players in the summer.
A brutal clear-out is needed in the eyes of the Catalan native – and replacing them, with the fortune of owner Sheik Mansour, is clearly on the agenda. But whose future at the club remains in limbo with an all-important summer on the horizon?
Germany and Bayern Munich hotshot Florian Wirtz is alongside Juventus’ Andrea Cambiaso on their shortlist, according to the report, but Guardiola is well aware that offloading those deemed surplus to requirements is necessary before focusing on incomings.
And that’s encapsulated by the sorry affairs of Kevin De Bruyne, who Guardiola is willing to sell. Once imperative to everything the dominant force mustered, the 33-year-old is not getting any younger – and he looks incapable of playing top flight football.
Seasoned engine room duo Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan are also reported to be in hot water after struggling to match the pace of England’s top flight this term. The addition of Gonzalez and the return of Rodri means their presence is no longer required.
Kyle Walker, who is currently spending time on loan at AC Milan, is surprisingly among the names reported – but John Stones and Bernardo Silva are too. Both players have been vital to Manchester City’s dominance, but are they past their pomp?
Jack Grealish’s Manchester City stint has been nothing short of tumultuous. The club forked out a lofty fee – one reported to be around £100 million – for his services but they’ve got very little in return. He’s notched just 16 goals and 23 assists in 149 games.
The out-of-sorts winger is also joined by goalkeeper Ederson on Guardiola’s extensive list of potential outgoings. Albeit regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in world football, the Brazilian has not always been reliable for Guardiola – as evidenced by the tactician’s knack of swapping between him and Stefan Ortega.
