Guardiola’s Call for Smaller Squad Yet to Materialise at Manchester City | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Summer Rebuild Stalls Ahead of Season Opener

Big Plans, Bigger Squad

It has been 73 days since Pep Guardiola dramatically declared he would walk away from Manchester City if he could not work with a smaller squad. That was in May. Fast forward to August and instead of streamlining, the Premier League champions have actually grown in numbers.

According to The Athletic, City now have 31 players after a flurry of summer activity including the arrivals of James Trafford, Marcus Bettinelli, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki. While the quality and potential of the recruits are not in doubt, the volume is a cause for concern.

Guardiola’s frustration stems from the sheer number of senior professionals at his disposal, many of whom will spend matchdays watching from the stands. With just two weeks until the season opener against Wolves, the expected squad trim has not yet arrived.

Photo IMAGO

Outgoings Stuck in Neutral

City have begun generating funds. Kyle Walker’s move to Burnley, Maximo Perrone’s €15 million switch to Como and Yan Couto’s permanent transfer to Borussia Dortmund have raised some cash. However, The Athletic report that “finding permanent takers for Kalvin Phillips, given the financial package of a fee plus wages, has been tricky. Jack Grealish and James McAtee are expected to leave too.”

“The fourth expected exit is goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, as City now have four senior goalkeepers following Trafford’s arrival.” Ortega wants regular minutes to boost his World Cup hopes with Germany, and City are reportedly open to offers.

Balancing Development with Depth

Some of the summer’s work has focused on youth development. Sverre Nypan, signed from Rosenborg, is expected to go out on loan, while Girona remain interested in Claudio Echeverri and Vitor Reis. Guardiola is a known admirer of Echeverri, having handed him a debut in the FA Cup final. Whether to loan or keep him close to Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush is still under discussion.

Oscar Bobb, now 22, is likely to remain after returning from injury. Meanwhile, Nico O’Reilly, despite competition from Ait-Nouri, may also be retained due to his midfield versatility. However, “McAtee is more established but his role last season was largely restricted to substitute cameos,” The Athletic added, suggesting Forest are in the frame but are baulking at City’s valuation.

Photo: IMAGO

Deadline Pressures and UEFA Constraints

Premier League regulations allow for a 25-man squad with a cap of 17 non-homegrown players. City are currently at 17, plus nine homegrown players, which gives them little wiggle room. However, UEFA’s Champions League regulations are stricter and do not offer the same leniency for under-21 foreign players.

That creates problems for players like Khusanov, Reis and Echeverri, who require UEFA registration spots despite being underage by Premier League standards. “Even if Grealish, Phillips and McAtee all leave,” writes The Athletic, “that will not be an issue for City” in terms of fulfilling the homegrown quota, but others may have to be sacrificed to meet the A-list rules.

Guardiola’s Identity Crisis

Beyond the numbers and the registrations lies a deeper issue: squad harmony. Managing such a large and highly paid group becomes less tactical and more psychological. Guardiola, ever the perfectionist, does not want to alienate players or lose the collective focus that has defined his time at City.

His vision is clear. The execution, however, is proving complex. With just weeks to go, City must accelerate their outgoings or risk internal unrest. The club’s recruitment has been proactive, but their trimming has not. It is now up to Viana and the CFG network to deliver the balance Guardiola craves.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

For Manchester City fans, the current situation feels like déjà vu. We’ve seen this film before; overloaded squads, last-minute exits and UEFA rules catching us off guard. But this summer, it’s starting to feel like the club have bitten off more than they can chew.

No one is doubting the potential of the signings. Reijnders adds quality, Ait-Nouri could be a revelation and Cherki is one of the brightest prospects in Europe. But where do they all fit in? More importantly, what happens to players like McAtee, Bobb and O’Reilly who have worked through the academy only to be replaced by imports?

It’s also hard to watch Ortega likely depart. He’s done nothing wrong, been reliable, and clearly wants more game time. You can’t blame him. But again, it all feels like City solving one problem by creating another.

What fans want is clarity and purpose. Trust the kids. Give fringe players like Stones, who publicly said he doesn’t want to leave, a proper chance. And yes, please let us avoid a scenario where we’re leaving four quality players out of Champions League squads just because we didn’t sell in time.

Guardiola deserves the lean, hungry squad he asked for. Let’s hope the club back his vision before September arrives.