After losing a couple of expensive points on Saturday afternoon as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw away to Nottingham Forest, Manchester City also sacrificed their place at the top of the Premier League table.
While the reigning champions may have set a real record at the Emirates last weekend when they posted a breakout 3-1 win against Arsenal, Pep Guardiola’s side are looking for some stability.
Similarly, in addition to facing the loss of the heavyweight title in 2023, the Blue Skies are also dealing with some pretty public issues behind the scenes in Manchester.
Accused of violating Premier League FFP rules about 100 times over a nine-year period, Etihad remains a veritable cloud of uncertainty.
While City could have made a big statement last summer by welcoming Erling Haaland to England’s top flight, it looks like many first-team stars may be leaving the club.
With a potential squad change ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, we’ve looked at who could leave Man City this year.
Ilkay Gundogan
While Ilkay Gundogan may have cemented his place as a modern-day Manchester City icon since arriving in the Premier League back in 2016, the German midfielder finds his career at a real crossroads.
While the former Borussia Dortmund star may once again be a key figure in Guardiola’s first-team plans this season, Gundogan has yet to sign a new deal.
With no sign of a contract extension agreement, the 32-year-old has entered the final six months of his current contract and is free to negotiate pre-contracts with foreign clubs.
Having helped City lift four Premier League crowns since arriving in England, the international with 66 caps appears to have a sizable heavyweight following.
While the Sky Blues may have made it clear they want Gundogan to extend his seven-year stay at the Etihad, Barcelona are reportedly interested in getting the midfielder as a free transfer.
Rodri
While the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden may have had to deal with a short stint on Guardiola’s bench this season, Rodri is a constant presence in the 52-year-old’s plans.
Although City forked out £45m last summer by signing former Leeds midfielder Calvin Phillips, the Spaniard may be top of Guardiola’s team list.
However, despite the fact that the former Atlético Madrid star may have been one of Manchester City’s most prominent players this season, the 26-year-old has amassed a huge following from across the continent.
While Eihad’s hierarchy may have made it clear they don’t want to part with their midfield talisman, Barcelona could come knocking this summer with a blockbuster offer.
Along with their going out of their way to hire Gundogan for free ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, Football insider It was reported over the weekend that the Spanish giants would be willing to pay up to £80m for Rodri.
Bernardo Silva
Although Bernardo Silva may have scored his third Premier League goal of the season as City eventually had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest at the weekend, his long-term future is again in big doubt.
While the Portuguese playmaker may have been one of the Premier League’s standouts last season, the former Monaco ace has struggled to find more consistency this time around.
Having spent the last few weeks playing a deeper role, this isn’t the first time Silva has been linked with a potential exit from Etihad.
While the 28-year-old may have become a fan favorite since moving to City in 2017, Silva has previously been open about wanting more regular first-team play.
With some speculation during the January transfer window that the international with 78 caps could get a sensational late exit, daily mail Earlier this month it was reported that PSG were monitoring the situation with Silva.