The eight Man City players out of contract in 2027 with SIX summer sales predicted | OneFootball

Manchester City have four players in their first-team squad and another four out on loan who are approaching the final year of their contracts.

This summer could turn out to be their last chance to sell them for a decent price, so City will have to start thinking now about which ones they plan to get rid of and which they would rather keep – and thus would need to offer new contracts to.

City have become savvy sellers in recent years, so shouldn’t have trouble finding suitors for some of these players, but a couple jump out as obvious ones to keep.

We take a look at the eight players in question and decide what their fates should be.

Rodri

At his peak, Rodri is elite for his position, so much so that he won the Ballon d’Or in 2024.

Injuries have impacted the midfielder since then, but it remains clear that City don’t look as cohesive a team without him, even if they do still pick up plenty of good results.

This season, Rodri has played in 14 Premier League games, starting 10. Turning 30 in June, his situation could be quite a delicate one for City to weigh up.

They know there could be risks of further injury issues for Rodri, but also have to balance how important he is to the team when available.

Until they are fully confident in who will take over the mantle from Rodri – assessing if Nico Gonzalez can reach the same standards in the long run – City should keep him on board.

Phil Foden

On course to be a one-club man if he wants, Foden was highly rated when he came through the City academy and has since made more than 350 first-team appearances, winning six Premier League titles and the top-flight’s player of the season award for 2023-24.

The playmaker signed his current contract in October 2022, but TEAMtalk has consistently reported that City have been making progress in their talks with Foden and his next contract could effectively cover the rest of his career.

Although Foden is still only 25 years old, he is willing to commit to City for the future. His next renewal should last until 2030, according to sources.

It’s hard to picture Foden anywhere else. Signing a new deal with City seems to be a formality and a matter of when, not if.

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Mateo Kovacic

Kovacic is now in his third season with City after his 2023 move from Chelsea, but injury has kept him out for most of the campaign.

The Croatian midfielder will turn 32 before the summer, so along with his injury status, age isn’t really on his side in terms of fighting for a contract renewal.

Formerly with the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, Kovacic is likely to appeal to some other top clubs still.

With that in mind, City ought to raise some funds by letting him leave this summer, as much as Guardiola does trust him.

Nathan Ake

Now 31, Ake has only started four Premier League games for City this season, although he has often captained the side on their journey to the EFL Cup final.

Ake joined City from Bournemouth in 2020 and earned a contract extension in 2023, which keeps him tied down today.

Ake’s place in the City squad was already under threat heading into January, when we understand they would have considered bids in the region of £25m, and he is likely to continue to attract interest in the summer.

Selling the Dutchman could still help City pocket a decent fee in the summer after six years of service to the club. Given his widespread appeal, a sale makes sense – not because he isn’t good enough, but because he isn’t first choice anymore and can help City balance the books while continuing his career at a decent level elsewhere.

Jack Grealish

Still City’s record signing after his 2021 move from Aston Villa, Grealish went on loan to Everton this season after falling down the pecking order.

He was getting back on track with the Toffees, until a recent injury cruelly ended his season prematurely. However, his adventure with Everton might not be over there.

Despite the significant loss they would make on his transfer fee, sources recently revealed that City would actually be open to loaning out Grealish again for the last year of his contract to get his wages off the books and help him find the right next club, who otherwise might not be able to afford him.

Everton themselves have an option to buy Grealish for £50m, but that’s a price they’re unlikely to meet. A second loan, though, could easily pique their interest.

There’s nothing to say City can’t agree to a deal like that. There are arguments to say they shouldn’t, though.

Either way, Grealish deserves to be playing regular football once he recovers and that won’t happen at the Etihad Stadium anymore. His exit should be sanctioned in the summer.

Manuel Akanji

Akanji completed a deadline day move to Inter Milan on loan for the rest of the season back in September after three seasons with City.

During his spell in Serie A so far, the Swiss centre-back has featured heavily, completing the full 90 minutes of 22 league games.

A decision on his future may be taken out of City’s hands, since Inter have an option to buy him for €15m.

What’s more, that option would become an obligation if Inter win the league and Akanji plays in at least half of their matches. They are seven points clear after 25 games and Akanji has already met the gametime requirement, so it’s highly likely he’ll be staying in Italy.

Issa Kabore

Since City signed Kabore in 2020, the defender has gone on seven different loan spells. Currently, he’s spending the 2025-26 season in the Championship with Wrexham.

He’ll be 25 years old by the time his loan spell ends, so it’s hard to imagine him forcing his way into contention for City at this stage of his career. If he was up to their standards, he would have done so by now.

There are no purchase clauses in Wrexham’s loan deal for Kabore, although it’s understood they would like to keep him.

Whoever the buyer is, it makes sense for City to offload the defender.

Josh Wilson-Esbrand

Wilson-Esbrand is enduring one of the less conventional loan spells away from City this season, having secured a September escape to Polish side Radomiak Radom.

The left-back has only played three times during his loan and is highly unlikely to register in City’s future plans.

It would be in everyone’s best interests to find him a permanent new club in the summer.