Revealed: Eight Manchester City first-team stars could LEAVE in the summer transfer window | OneFootball

As many as eight senior members of Pep Guardiola’s first-team Manchester City squad could leave the club in the upcoming summer, it has been revealed.

The insight into Manchester City’s pending summer transfer plans comes off the back of another sour night of competitive action for the club, this time seeing them bow out of European competition before the last-16 stage for the first time since 2012.

A 3-1 defeat away to Real Madrid took the aggregate scoreline across a two-legged play-off tie for a place in the round of 16 up to 6-3 after Manchester City threw away a lead in the first-leg during the closing moments of the contest.

Exit from the UEFA Champions League has also been coupled with Carabao Cup disappointment and a lacklustre pursuit of a fifth consecutive Premier League title, leaving the FA Cup as Manchester City’s only remaining hope of silverware this season.

And Etihad Stadium officials are ready to take remarkable action when it comes to an overhaul of their playing squad, targeting as many as eight exits from an ageing first-team squad following on from four arrivals in the January transfer window alone.

That is according to the information of the Daily Star’s Jeremy Cross, who reports that all of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Ederson, Jack Grealish, and Kyle Walker are all expected to leave Manchester City this summer.

In the case of De Bruyne and Gundogan, Manchester City’s veteran and hugely successful midfielders are approaching the end of their respective contractual agreements with the club, and there is little sign of interest in opening talks over brand new deals for either at this stage.

Bernardo Silva has long been touted with a move away from the Etihad Stadium in search of warmer climates, while John Stones’ injury concerns throughout the ongoing campaign have no doubt raised conversations over his ability to compete at the very highest level consistently.

Mateo Kovacic, Jack Grealish, and Ederson have all played big parts in various seasons for Pep Guardiola, while the latter has been a crucial component of their entire masterplan since his arrival in 2017, but attracts interest from Saudi Arabia which he is believed to be open to.

That leaves former club captain Kyle Walker, who is the closest to leaving out of all eight names having joined AC Milan last month on loan until the end of the season in a deal that includes an option to buy for around €5 million in the summer.