Manchester City have drawn a clear line under any complacency following their trophy-less 2024–25 campaign, finishing third in the Premier League and enduring a disappointing round-of-16 exit at the Club World Cup on 1 July to Al‑Hilal.
Man City to sell stars before signing more, Borson warns
Management have embarked on a summer rebuild, already committing around £112 million to sign Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Rayan Ait‑Nouri.
However, City insiders – including former financial adviser Stefan Borson – have stressed that more signings may depend on player sales.
“I don’t see City being particularly busy until they’ve got some movement on some of the players that need to be exited beyond the three that they bought. I think they need to be selling players now,” Borson told Football Insider.
Pep Guardiola, visibly frustrated, has demanded a leaner squad and reportedly warned he may walk away if forced to work with bloated numbers again next season.
According to Football365, as many as six players, including Jack Grealish, John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, Kalvin Phillips, Kyle Walker, and James McAtee, are “on the chopping block,” with Grealish’s departure considered “almost certain”.
Captain of England’s U21s during their triumphant European Championship campaign, 22‑year‑old McAtee is expected to leave in search of regular first-team football.
Bundesliga giants including Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Stuttgart, and Eintracht Frankfurt are circling, with City valuing him around £25–£30 million.
McAtee himself favors a move to Germany and is unlikely to rejoin City’s Club World Cup squad, having already sat that one out.
City’s recruitment drive doesn’t stop with exits. They have blitzed the early transfer window, also adding goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli (free from Chelsea) to the ranks.
Still, key concerns remain, most notably who will replace aging stars like Kevin De Bruyne and whether City can finally fend off Arsenal and Liverpool to reclaim the Premier League throne.
As the summer transfer window – set to close on 1 September – accelerates, a balancing act awaits the Etihad faithful: shed the surplus, reinvest shrewdly, and give Guardiola the streamlined squad he demands.
