Manchester City have about half of their current squad out of contract in the new two years and must take some big decisions
Manchester City have work to do in the summer transfer window. The club spent £175m in the January market as they were forced tot take action to stop a devastating slump in form and save their season.
They are expected to go big again, and will need to replace Kevin De Bruyne after deciding to move on from the Belgian after his two years of injury struggles. Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen is on their shortlist, and that will not be the only position where they strengthen.
“Absolutely,” said Guardiola on Saturday when asked if left-back was a priority. “Nico is helping us but he is not a left back. That is true.
“I played with Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, Fabian Delph at left-back. We find solutions for many years.
“When players have qualities they help us. Sometimes Rico plays full-back on the left. It helps us massively.
“Of course, we can help with Nathan (Ake) but Nathan, like John Stones, has been injured all season. The most important thing, from my point of view, I said to the club, which players are reliable for the future.”
As much as interest will be in which players will bring in, as interesting will be the ones already in the squad who are trusted to continue. Ilkay Gundogan’s contract extension triggered by his appearances this season mean there are 13 players whose current deals run out either next summer or the year after.
All of those can be said to be important to the manager, but some are more important in terms of what the future of City looks like.
The first is Ederson, who is out of contract in 2026 and nearly left last summer amid interest from the Saudi Pro League. The Brazilian showcased the good and bad of his game against Crystal Palace, with some abysmal work in the six-yard box allowing the visitors to score twice before a wonderful assist for James McAtee put the game beyond their opponents.
Stefan Ortega is out of contract at the same time, and while he hasn’t really made the case to be City’s No.1 this season the debate over whether a new one is needed continues. What the Blues do with Ederson this summer will determine whether or not the club begin a new chapter after eight years with the same keeper.
Arriving in the same year as Ederson was Bernardo Silva, and he is also approaching the last 12 months of his contract. Silva has been criticised this season during the team’s slump in form but remains a unicorn for Guardiola in the way he can fill in more positions than anyone else over the course of a game and a campaign.
Silva responded angrily last month to the suggestion that he is over the hill at 30 and says he has plenty left to prove, although there are now reports coming out of Portugal again about an emotional return to Benfica. It would be bold for City to move on from Silva given how versatile his successor will have to be, but a decision will have to be made sooner rather than later.
Stones and Ake are also up in the next two years, and Stones is first in 2026. The former Barnsley youngster’s contribution to City’s success will never be forgotten and he still looks the best centre-back when he is fit, it is just that he has not been able to rely on his fitness for too long now.
Guardiola has been clear that his priority for next season is players who can stand up to the demands of multiple games a week for months. Culling Stones would be a ruthless indicator of that, although renewing his deal will place pressure on the recruitment and performance teams to make sure City are still getting value for their money paid out in wages.
The last two are players who see themselves as integral to the club for the next five years and beyond. Ruben Dias is 28 and thinks he is in good shape to stay at the top for some time yet.
The departure of De Bruyne and likely exit for Kyle Walker means the captaincy will be up for grabs at the beginning of next season, and Dias will be hoping to claim it. By then, he will also expect a new deal to ensure he doesn’t enter the final two years of his current contract.
Then there is Phil Foden, who is also out of contract in 2027. The best year of his career has been followed by the worst, but faith remains in the 24-year-old. Sorting a new deal this summer would be concrete evidence of that and set him up to spend the best years of his career at the club.
