Manchester City likely to PAY to get rid of two first-team stars this summer | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City are ‘likely’ to have to pay in order to get rid of two first-team stars from their squad this summer, according to reports.

Developments surrounding possible outgoings from Pep Guardiola’s star-studded squad follow a rush of activity concerning arrivals into the roster, with four new names recruited in time for the now-ongoing FIFA Club World Cup.

Chelsea’s Marcus Bettinelli was the most surprising acquisition as he completed a swift move from West London to Manchester to replace Scott Carson as third-choice goalkeeper within the Etihad Stadium.

Rayan Ait-Nouri swapped Wolverhampton for the North-West as he put pen to paper on a long-term deal, followed by Serie A’s Midfielder of the 2024/25 season Tijjani Reijnders, and Olympique Lyonnais’ exceptionally talented, Rayan Cherki.

But with the squad having expanded further, and Pep Guardiola consistently making his feelings known over preferring more limited numbers at his disposal, a raft of exits can be expected over the course of the coming weeks.

According to the information of talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Manchester City are likely to have to subsidise the wages of both Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish in order for both players to leave the club this summer.

From the side of the latter, it is reaffirmed that the forward is high on Napoli’s ‘wanted list’ for the ongoing market but the Serie A champions cannot afford his £300,000-a-week salary at the Etihad Stadium.

As for Walker, Everton are said to be among the teams keeping tabs on the player’s future, while Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce are also interested but unwilling to bend their own pay structure in order to sign the 35-year-old.

Uncertainty over Kyle Walker’s future comes after his recent loan side AC Milan took the decision to reject an opportunity to sign the Englishman permanently, holding an option to buy in the region of €5 million.

The Sheffield-born defender has long made his feelings clear over a desire to return to Bramall Lane during the tail-end of his career, but a determination to remain at the summit of European football is likely to keep that possibility on hold a little longer.

As for Jack Grealish and an emotional return to his former club, there is yet to be any signs of Aston Villa emerging as an interested party in their previous captain, and the finances of such a deal are unlikely to attract at this stage.