Manchester City’s 2024/25 season, a rare trophyless campaign that saw them finish third in the Premier League, has sparked a seismic shift at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola, the mastermind behind six Premier League titles in seven years, is poised to orchestrate the most extensive squad overhaul in the club’s modern history. Up to 17 first-team players are reportedly at risk of departure as Guardiola seeks to rejuvenate a squad that faltered under the weight of injuries and inconsistency. “I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer,” Guardiola declared, emphasizing his desire for a leaner, more cohesive unit. With new signings already in place and the Club World Cup underway, City’s summer of 2025 promises to reshape a team determined to reclaim its perch atop English and European football.
## A Season of Setbacks
City’s 2024/25 campaign was a stark departure from their era of relentless dominance. Finishing 13 points behind champions Liverpool, they suffered early exits in the Champions League against Real Madrid and a shock FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace. Injuries to linchpins like Rodri, who played just 37 minutes after a September knee injury, and John Stones, limited to 13 starts, exposed squad vulnerabilities. “The only thing we want from John is to be fit—to do his lovely job, playing football, consistently,” Guardiola said, reflecting on Stones’ injury-plagued season. Off-field challenges, including Phil Foden’s ankle injury and Kevin De Bruyne’s departure to Napoli, compounded the malaise. Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak vowed an “aggressive” transfer window, and City have delivered, spending over £100m on Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and Rayan Cherki.
## The Case for a Clearout
Guardiola’s frustration with his bloated 34-player squad has been palpable. “I cannot train 24 players and every time I select I have to have four, five, six stay in Manchester at home,” he said after a 3-1 win over Bournemouth in May 2025, where stars like Savinho, James McAtee, and Rico Lewis were omitted. His preference for a compact 20 outfield players and three goalkeepers drove City’s success during their 100-point 2017/18 season and 2023 Treble. The current surplus, exacerbated by January’s £200m signings of Nico Gonzalez, Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, and Abdukodir Khusanov, has left players like Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, and Kalvin Phillips excluded from the Club World Cup squad, signaling their likely exits. “I would love to have the players we have now all season, but we cannot go with 26, 27 players,” Guardiola reiterated in Atlanta, hinting at imminent departures.
## Who’s on the Chopping Block?
The list of potential departures spans veterans and fringe players. Grealish, who managed just 715 Premier League minutes in 2025, faces an uncertain future after being overlooked for 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri in the FA Cup final. Ilkay Gündogan, a target for Galatasaray, could leave despite a one-year contract option, with Guardiola noting, “If he will not be part of our squad, he would not be here.” Ederson, linked with Saudi Arabia, and Bernardo Silva, eyeing a return to Europe, are among the Treble heroes whose futures are in doubt. Defenders like Kyle Walker, now at AC Milan, and midfielders Matheus Nunes and Kalvin Phillips, who missed the US tour, are also vulnerable. The emergence of youngsters like Nico O’Reilly and Josko Gvardiol, who “reimagined how City create threat,” adds pressure on underperformers.
## A Blueprint for Rebirth
Guardiola’s overhaul echoes his 2017 rebuild, when he offloaded 11 players, including Samir Nasri and Joe Hart, and signed Ederson, Kyle Walker, and Bernardo Silva, dropping the squad’s average age to 25. That transformation yielded a 100-point season and set the stage for sustained dominance. Today, new arrivals like Aït-Nouri, a dynamic left-back, and Cherki, a 21-year-old with 32 goal contributions last season, signal a similar youth-driven strategy. “Give me good players,” Guardiola quipped, emphasizing quality over quantity. Director of football Hugo Viana, succeeding Txiki Begiristain, is tasked with balancing departures and signings to ensure City’s competitiveness in a Premier League led by Liverpool and Arsenal.
## The Road Ahead
As City compete in the Club World Cup, facing Al Ain on June 28, 2025, Guardiola’s squad shake-up is already underway. With the Premier League season kicking off in August, broadcast on Sky Sports and TNT Sports, fans await a rejuvenated City. “The young players and new acquisitions have to lead this club for the next few years,” Guardiola said after a 1-0 win over Tottenham in February. Social media buzzes with anticipation—one X user posted, “Pep’s swinging the axe, and City’s about to rise again!” If Guardiola’s past rebuilds are any guide, this summer’s upheaval could herald a new golden era at the Etihad, with a leaner, hungrier squad ready to reclaim glory.
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