Business may pick up for Manchester City after their Club World Cup exit | OneFootball

With Manchester City now out of the FIFA Club World Cup, Pep Guardiola’s squad has six weeks before their opening Premier League fixture of the 25/26 season against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molinuex. But for now, the City hierarchy may have a busy period coming up. Players will have to depart City this summer. There will likely be a host of players who featured in the United States who will leave Manchester City. So it does seem that business is about to pick up at City as a host of players’ futures are resolved in the coming weeks.

Manchester City need to let players go in the coming weeks.

Jack Gaughan has reported for the Daily Mail that Manchester City are set for talks with a host of players in the coming weeks. Gaughan reports that doubts surround the futures of Ilkay Gundogan, John Stones and Nathan Ake. Gundogan has attracted interest from Galatasaray as revealed by Esteemed Kompany sources in June. John Stones didn’t play a minute at the Club World Cup and that casts doubt over his future at Manchester City. Nathan Ake’s fitness issues could see him depart, and lastly, Gaughan reports that Mateo Kovacic has attracted interest from clubs across Europe despite being injured.

It would also seemingly only be a matter of time before Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips and James McAtee leave Manchester City.

Who leaves City could shape who they sign this summer.

Now the process of letting players go will begin for Hugo Viana and Txiki Begiristain. Manchester City will not enter next season with a bloated squad. Pep Guardiola doesn’t want to work with a big squad as he has stated repeatedly. It’s obvious that Grealish, McAtee, Walker and Phillips will leave City. What isn’t apparent is who will join them. There is a case for City to let Ilkay Gundogan and one of John Stones or Nathan Ake leave. Possibly not all three but at least two of those players could and should leave. The potential is also very real that Vitor Reis or Claudio Echeverri could depart City on loan. But outside of who leaves, if the right amount of players leave Manchester City it could shape who City sign for the remainder of this summer.

Pep Guardiola’s squad is in desperate need of a right-back. It is the biggest need that must be addressed this summer. But it is hard to see City making another big signing before players leave the club. So time is of the essence and the quicker Manchester City can sell players the quicker they can move on to signing a right-back for example.

But with Manchester City now out of the FIFA Club World Cup business is seemingly about to pick up at the Etihad. It simply has to so Pep Guardiola’s squad can be trimmed ahead of the 25/26 season.