Manchester City line up bumper contract extensions for four first-team stars | OneFootball

Hugo Viana and Manchester City officials are lining up a quartet of first-team stars for contract extensions at the Etihad Stadium, according to a new report.

Viana orchestrated a major first-team exodus in the recent transfer window as Manchester City bosses sought to streamline Pep Guardiola’s squad, trim the wage bill and recruit heavily after a dormant 2024 summer transfer window.

City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak admitted in an interview this summer that the club should have been much more aggressive in last summer’s transfer market, with the Blues enduring a sobering 2024-25 campaign marked by disappointing finishes in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

However, after taking over the purse strings from long-serving Manchester City sporting director Txiki Begiristain, Viana introduced wholesale changes to the first-team dressing room and sanctioned the exits of several senior stars pivotal to the club’s success over the years.

Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and Scott Carson were all shown the door, with Ilkay Gundogan, Ederson and James McAtee deciding to leave for various reasons. Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji joined Everton and Inter Milan on season-long loans.

City recruited heavily in the transfer window and made seven new additions to their first-team squad, with Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, Marcus Bettinelli, Rayan Cherki, Sverre Nypan, James Trafford and Gianluigi Donnarumma also joining.

Having agreed and announced contract renewals for Ruben Dias and Rico Lewis since the start of the 2025-26 term, Viana and co intent to tie down many more of Manchester City’s most important players to long-term deals as the season progress.

According to the information of Football Transfers’ Steve Kay, a Manchester City quartet of Phil Foden, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol and Rodri are all in line for new contracts at the Etihad Stadium.

Foden will reportedly be given a contract that ‘cements his status as one of the faces of the club’ and while already among the top earners, the 25-year-old is set for a further pay increase to show his importance to the first-team side.

As for Rodri, the Spaniard is said to be a priority amid constant rumours of interest from Real Madrid, with the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner offered a £300,000-per-week deal at Manchester City until the summer of 2029 plus an option for a further 12 months.

Despite fitness concerns over the last 24 months, Stones is also claimed to be in talks with the club, but age and injuries mean City are unwilling to commit to anything more than a one-year extension through to 2027.

Finally – while his situation is described as ‘less urgent’ – Manchester City want to reward Gvardiol with a bumper new agreement, proposing a two-year extension through to 2030 and a pay rise – aligning him with other undisputed starters in Guardiola’s squad.