Players will have to leave Manchester City this summer | OneFootball

As Manchester City bids to trim the size of Pep Guardiola’s squad for next season, players will have to leave the Etihad this summer. It would seem to be a matter of time before players such as Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, James McAtee and Kalvin Phillips, for example, find new clubs. Outside of those four, it isn’t immediately clear who will depart City this summer.

Trying to work out who in Manchester City’s Club World Cup squad will leave City this summer is no easy task. But new comments from Pep Guardiola do explain that players will definitely depart. It just may take most of the summer transfer window for that picture to become clear.

Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that players have to leave Manchester City.

Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s Club World Cup Group G fixture against Al Ain, Pep Guardiola explained that he’d be happy to take his current squad into next season. But he added that it would almost be impossible to keep players happy if no player left the Etihad this summer. Speaking on the subject, Guardiola explained: “I would love to have the players that we have right now all season. I love it. I don’t have any complaint about the players, how they behave.”

“The problem is that they will be unhappy during the season. They will be sad. They will be disappointed. I don’t want that. For me, it’s not a problem, I have more selection, but I don’t like to have six or seven players or five players at home just in case there’s no injuries.”

“I don’t want a big squad for them, not for me, for them. So that’s why we have to see what happens.”

A host of players have stated their intentions to remain at the Etihad.

John Stones has spoken of his desire to remain at Manchester City for next season. Ilkay Gundogan has also previously signalled his intent to remain at the club. It was previously believed that they could have been two prime candidates to leave the Etihad this summer. But as it stands right now, that may not occur.

Pep Guardiola’s desire to work with a small squad is well-known. It has been a constant throughout his managerial career. To cater for that need of Guardiola’s players will have to leave Manchester City this summer. But who that could be outside of the obvious candidates isn’t an easy task to decipher.

Perhaps who is selected to start for Manchester City during the FIFA Club World Cup could provide a clue as to who could leave City this summer. Perhaps not. But the obvious point is that players in Manchester City’s FIFA Club World Cup squad will have to depart the club this summer. It’s not a simple or obvious answer to figure out who that could be based on the stated intentions of players such as John Stones and Ilkay Gundogan to remain at the Etihad for next season.