Manchester City

Aymeric Laporte has said he questioned his luck after suffering a knee injury for Manchester City at the start of the season, just days before potentially making his debut for France. 

The centre-back—who recently returned to training—had been called up for his country's 2020 European Championship qualifiers against Albania and Andorra, but the defender damaged his right knee in the 4-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on August 31.

Speaking to French football show Telefoot (via Tom Coast of Sport Witness), Laporte said the injury was just unfortunate:

"When it happened, in my head, the truth was I thought 'Surprise, surprise.' The day before I'm meant to be going with the France national team, blam ... I wouldn't say I'm cursed, but maybe it was misfortune. You ask yourself a bit 'Why?'

"No one knows, but I'm back, I'm happy. All is well. I don't have any pain, so I'm ready and back on the attack."

The Sky Blues captured Laporte for a club-record £57 million from Athletic Bilbao in January 2018, and Pep Guardiola reshaped his defence around the Frenchman.

Laporte's ball-carrying talent quickly saw him develop as a mainstay in the City starting XI, and the club won consecutive Premier League titles.

It's no surprise City have slipped away from their lofty standards without Laporte this term, and the defender's importance has been underlined during a disappointing campaign for the star-studded team.

City have lost six league games this season, handing undefeated Liverpool control at the summit of the division, with Jurgen Klopp's side 22 points clear of Guardiola's men.

Laporte is now back in training as he attempts to regain fitness, but Guardiola has made it clear he will not rush the defender's availability after his serious injury.

According to Tyrone Marshall of the Manchester Evening News, Guardiola explained Laporte is on the path to a full recovery:

"He's training every day, he feels no pain and after training he feels good, [but] I don't know when he'll be ready to play some minutes.

"I'm not the doctor, what I see on the pitch is he moves well, his movement, for four or five months, he's not a small guy like [Raheem] Sterling, who recovers quickly, but he moves really well and we'll see what the doctor says about when he's going to play."

Fernandinho has deputised at centre-back in Laporte's absence, with Nicolas Otamendi favoured as his partner, but City have lacked defensive quality for the entire season.

The Premier League title appears to have gone. However, there's all to play for in the UEFA Champions League. City are desperate to add Europe's biggest club prize to their honours, and Laporte can play a huge part in any future European success.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has dismissed suggestions that the club's campaign will be a failure should they fail to win their maiden UEFA Champions League. 

The Citizens have all but lost the Premier League crown with leaders Liverpool 22 points ahead after 25 games. They'll face Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16, while they're also up against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup final and have advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Guardiola told Football Daily it's a "bad, bad message for the new generation" to believe that trophies mean everything and a season without silverware equates to failure:

Pep Guardiola on winning trophies & not winning the Champions League

🗣"We give a bad message to the new generation to just count the trophies. People believe you are Pep you have to win all the titles every season, It's impossible" pic.twitter.com/yk1FiJtTH0

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 11, 2020

The Catalan coach said the fact City haven't won a European title in their 125-year history was a testament to how difficult the task is, admitting he'll accept his fate should the owners decide to sack him:

"I accept it. I want to win the Champions League; I dream and will enjoy the games against Real Madrid, to see what I can do.

"And this process, the two weeks before, will be the happiest moments of my profession, to imagine what we can do to beat them.

"If we don't beat them, then the chairman will come, or the sporting director, and say 'It's not good enough, we want the Champions League, I'm going to sack you.' Then 'OK. Thank you. It was a pleasure.'"

Guardiola has a contract at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2021, but his future at the club has been discussed more since the Reds have galloped into a dominant Premier League lead.

The 49-year-old won Europe's premier tournament twice with Barcelona (2009, 2011) before leading Bayern Munich to three successive Bundesliga titles between 2013 and 2016.

City's Premier League triumph last season saw the club successfully defend the crown for the first time in their history, but he said in late January this season's Liverpool would win in any country, via Hayters TV:

“Liverpool will obviously be champions” 👏

“They would be champions in Spain, Italy and Germany” 🏆

“Liverpool are just fantastic, phenomenal” 🔥

Pep Guardiola heaps praise on @LFC and believes few teams in Europe would have been able to match the Reds this season 👌 pic.twitter.com/KBo3fEAQHV

— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) January 26, 2020

Guardiola praised Jurgen Klopp's project with the Reds but said it's not always possible to hit the heights expected:

"Liverpool have spent four or five years to win the first title last season. It was a process—new players, the process, then invest more and more, and they are the best team in the world right now.

"Always people believe that you are Pep, or you are Jurgen, or another name, so you have to win all the titles, get two thousand million points, two thousand million goals.

"Sometimes it's not possible. Sometimes there are opponents, sometimes you cannot do it because in no sport does one team win all the titles all the time. It's impossible."

The Sky Blues will face Villa at Wembley Stadium on March 1 with a prime opportunity to clinch an early trophy, though they travel to Madrid for the first leg of their knockout clash with Real on February 26.

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson critiqued Guardiola for failing to evolve in the same manner he feels Liverpool counterpart Klopp has in recent years:

🗣 - "How is he the best manager in the world? They're 2⃣2⃣ points behind!"

Merse doesn't hold back in a passionate rant about Pep Guardiola! 👀 pic.twitter.com/kqAPMptdJG

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 8, 2020

A serious knee injury to centre-back Aymeric Laporte has robbed City of an essential cog for most of this season so far. However, City's spending of around £500 million in the three years since Guardiola was appointed has left some of the belief the club should be able to withstand such setbacks.

Manuel Pellegrini took City to the Champions League semi-finals in 2015-16, but his successor has suffered back-to-back quarter-final departures against English peers Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

Guardiola could still end this season with two trophies even if City fail to realise their Champions League dreams, but his idea of success doesn't hinge on that one competition.

John Stones needs to play to his maximum level to earn more minutes with Manchester City and secure his place with England at this summer's UEFA Euro 2020, according to Pep Guardiola. 

Stones hasn't started a Premier League game since City drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace in January. Guardiola knows it could impact the centre-back's international chances, but he challenged Stones to play better, per Stuart Brennan of the Manchester Evening News:

"Of course it is my problem, I am a human being. I try to have empathy with my players and suffer when they suffer. I hope he goes with the national team because my opinion on him is the same. He has good points and some have to improve. It is simple, he is a young central defender.

I want to make decisions that he likes but I have to make decisions to be honest with me. I know it is not easy for him."

Guardiola also defended picking Eric Garcia ahead of Stones. Garcia is still just 19, but Guardiola lauded the Spaniard's performance during the 1-0 win away to Sheffield United on January 21.

Ultimately, Guardiola said his defenders must "play here as well as possible then after that go to the national team."

Guardiola on Eric Garcia: "He never misses one game, he never fails. Always was perfect. He's a guy who doesn't make mistakes. He played 5-10 he was perfect, he didn't make a mistake. So so pleased."

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) January 21, 2020

It's a not-so-subtle warning to Stones, who has struggled to establish himself during three troubled seasons with City, despite costing £47.5 million when he arrived from Everton in 2016. Stone has impressive qualities, including height and assured technique on the ball.

Yet those attributes haven't taken Stones off the bench. He's made a mere 11 stars in all competitions this season, with 10 of those coming in England's top flight.

The lack of minutes is an indictment of Stones' standing considering he's rarely been picked during a campaign where City have been beset by problems in defence. Key centre-back Aymeric Laporte went down in August with a knee injury in August and returned to start against the Blades.

Laporte's absence derailed City's bid to win a third title in a row. Guardiola's side became vulnerable at the back, ultimately conceding 36 goals through 25 matches and falling 22 points behind leaders Liverpool.

Rather than trust Stones to fill the void, Guardiola often deployed holding midfielder Fernandinho as a converted central defender. Nicolas Otamendi and Garcia also took starts away Stones.

A midfielder playing out of position and an academy graduate starting ahead of him show how far Stones has fallen down the pecking order. He could slip further, with Guardiola rumoured to be keen on Athletic Bilbao's Unai Nunez, per AS (h/t MailOnline's Kathryn Batte).

Unai Núñez: €30 million

After Aymeric Laporte and Kepa Arrizabalaga, Núñez could be the next Lezama product to find his way into the Premier League.

He's a physically imposing, rough and rugged center back who can win aerial duels and wrestle center forwards off the ball. pic.twitter.com/2B3UCmggPg

— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) January 23, 2020

Stones, who is contracted with City until 2022, can't afford to lose out on more playing time if he expects to feature for England during the summer.

The 25-year-old will be in contention with familiar names such as Manchester United's Harry Maguire and Everton's Michael Keane. However, competition has grown at the position this season, with several young players surely in Gareth Southgate's thinking, including 22-year-old Liverpool ace Joe Gomez.

Stones looks increasingly like a player struggling to live up to expectations and destined to get lost in the shuffle at both club and international level.

Carlos Tevez hasn't forgotten the time he refused to come on as a substitute for Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. While Tevez regrets the 2011 incident and his argument with then-manager Roberto Mancini, the Argentinian defended his role in the infamous moment.

Tevez, who now plays for Boca Juniors, recounted what happened during an interview with Fox Sports Radio (h/t Sport Witness, via Daniel Murphy of the Manchester Evening News):

"I regret the bad moment, but the truth is that I was right. The thing was like that, we are going to play Munich and Mancini put Kun Aguero as the only striker.

"At 10 minutes we are losing 2-0, and he turns to me and tells me to go warm up. I thought good; I’d get on in the first half, but no. I was running for 35 minutes.

"I thought I was going to come on in the second half because he told me to stay warm during half-time, but nothing… Fifteen minutes into the second half, I was warmed up, and I went to sit alone, I had been running for more than an hour.

"Then he turns around and tells me to warm up again, I said no, that it was crazy. After, in the conference, he said that I didn’t want to play. He had everything already set up."

Tevez's refusal to enter the fray went down in City folklore. Ironically, it also inadvertently became the catalyst for an historic season that ended with the Citizens winning a first Premier League title.

Sergio Aguero's iconic, last-gasp winner against Queens Park Rangers at the Etihad Stadium snatched the title out of the grasp of bitter rivals Manchester United. City's dramatic day in May 2012 was a long way off when Tevez threw a strop in Munich.

The striker was soon hit with a £500,000 fine and a two-week suspension. He didn't play for City again for six months.

Yet Tevez being left to stew ultimately served City well. He returned to the team in February, and his goals proved crucial during the run-in.

The title looked lost after City were beaten 1-0 away by Arsenal in April. Mario Balotelli was sent off at the Emirates Stadium, and Tevez was in the starting XI the next week.

Tevez scored in a 4-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, before netting a hat-trick when Norwich City were beaten 6-1 at Carrow Road. His partnership up top with Aguero provided Mancini's squad with a boost at a crucial time.

Aguero and Tevez inspired City to the title, a prize the club would win three more times during the decade. Yet Tevez's unflattering memory of Mancini's one-striker tactics in Europe is telling given how the club is still struggling in its pursuit of the Champions League trophy.

City have been stumbling on the continent, even under the guidance of Pep Guardiola. The latter hasn't found the right formula to get past the last eight, losing against AS Monaco and Tottenham Hotspur in recent years.

Pep Guardiola hasn't gone past the quarter-final stage in the Champions League in his three seasons in charge of Man City:

2018/19: Quarter-finals ❌
2017/18: Quarter-finals ❌
2016/17: Last-16 ❌

Tottenham, Liverpool and Monaco knocking them out. pic.twitter.com/5v9AiZn5PP

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 17, 2019

Guardiola has two prolific strikers in Aguero and Gabriel Jesus at his disposal and may be best served going back to the 2012 blueprint for last-16 tie against Real Madrid.

As for Tevez, he was gone from City by 2013, capping a controversial, 73-goal stint in Manchester which also included swapping United for City in 2009, a transfer famous for the "Welcome to Manchester" billboard.

Tevez's time with City shouldn't be defined by the substitution fallout. Instead, the 36-year-old should be remembered for raising the profile and lifting the club to FA Cup and Premier League glory, vital steps on City's upward surge since Sheikh Mansour assumed ownership in late 2008.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said Leroy Sane is still "weeks" away from a return after a his long-term injury layoff.

The Premier League champions confirmed recently that the German winger was back in training, having missed the entire 2019-20 season so far because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered in the Community Shield clash with Liverpool in August.

Speaking ahead of the team's clash with West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday, Guardiola told reporters:

"He's started training with us. When you have an injury, especially like this one for six months ... you need to recover the tempo, the rhythm, the confidence in your body, in your knee, don't think about the injury.

"It needs time. It's not like an ankle, for example, or a muscular injury. The injury to the knee always needs time. He needs weeks, [what is] important is the surgery was perfect and he's recovering incredibly well, and he will come back hopefully stronger than before, but right now he needs a little bit more time."

In January, City posted a video showing Sane back in training with the club's first team:

Sane's return will be a huge boost to City as they seek to finish what has been a challenging campaign on a high.

Guardiola's team are 22 points behind runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool, but they remain in contention for the UEFA Champions League—they face Real Madrid in a mouth-watering last-16 tie—the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Sane has been a big miss for City this season, as he brings a thrust and vibrancy to the left flank that no other player in the squad possesses. 

While he fell out of favour towards the end of last season, Guardiola's team would no doubt benefit from having such a dynamic player to call on. Last term, the 24-year-old scored 10 goals and laid on 10 assists in the Premier League in 31 appearances.

With Sane injured, Raheem Sterling has featured in all but five of the team's 38 games this season. The Englishman is also now set for a spell on the sidelines because of a hamstring problem, meaning a return for Sane would be timely for the City boss.

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has downplayed comparisons between himself and legendary playmaker Zinedine Zidane.

Since moving to City in the summer of 2015, the Belgium international has been one of the best players in the Premier League, with his electric displays helping City win two top-flight titles.

While the team is underperforming this term—City are 22 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool in defence of their Premier League crown—De Bruyne has excelled in central midfield. Speaking to Sport360 (h/t Chris Burton of Goal), the 28-year-old said he thinks he's playing some of the best football of his career, although he talked down comparisons with Zidane:

"I don't know about that (Zidane comparisons). It's nice when people say this kind of [positive] stuff. It means I am doing good—and that's about it.

"Maybe, yes, I am playing my best football, but it's so difficult to say. It depends how you look at football. If you look at my football in general, as a complete player, I probably am. But some people like more the purity of football, some people like the statistics. It doesn't matter. I feel good, I feel I can help my team and that's about it."

Although City are almost certain to relinquish their domestic crown this season, they are in contention for various other honours. 

Pep Guardiola's side will face Aston Villa in the League Cup final on March 1, while they are also safely through to the fifth round of the FA Cup, in which they will face Sheffield Wednesday. Perhaps most importantly, they will face Real Madrid, who are managed by Zidane, in the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League.

Although De Bruyne believes comparisons with the mercurial Frenchman are premature, the former Wolfsburg and Chelsea man, like Zidane, is one of the best midfielders of his generation. 

One of his standout displays this season came in City's 3-0 win over Arsenal:

This season, De Bruyne has been a constant source of creativity for City. In midfield, his passing range, dribbling skill and decision-making make him stand out out from any other player in the Premier League in a similar position.

De Bruyne has already accrued an incredible 15 assists, as well as seven goals. The playmaker will surely have his eye on the Premier League's single-season record for assists—held by Thierry Henry, who laid on 20 in the 2002-03 campaign.

Comparisons between Zidane and De Bruyne may ramp up as Real get set to face City in the Champions League. The first leg will take place in Madrid on February 26, with the return encounter on March 17.

Los Blancos' boss is one of the most iconic figures in football history. As a player, he led Real to the UEFA Champions League and France to the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship; Zidane is also a three-time Champions League winner as a coach, steering Madrid to a historic three successes in a row.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said he wants Lionel Messi to remain at Barcelona amid rumours linking him with the Sky Blues.

According to The Independent's Mark Critchley, City officials—among them director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, formerly of Barcelona—are keeping an eye on Messi's situation at the Camp Nou following his public row with Barca sporting director Eric Abidal.

However, per Goal's Chris Burton, Guardiola said: "He's a player for Barcelona. He will stay there. That is my wish. I'm not going to talk about players for another club. I think he's going to finish his career there. It's my wish."

Guardiola spent four years as Barca boss earlier in Messi's career. Together, they won three La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions Leagues and two Copas del Rey, among other honours.

The coach remains an enormous admirer of the Argentinian talisman:

Lionel Messi is the best to ever play the game.

Pep Guardiola doesn't want to hear anything else.

🐐 pic.twitter.com/Cq7qG1jLYO

— GOAL (@goal) January 12, 2020

After the row with Abidal, Barcelona will be concerned that Messi has not yet put pen to paper on a new contract, with his existing deal set to expire next year. What's more, according to the Guardian's Sid Lowe, he also "has a clause in his contract which enables him to unilaterally walk away for free" at the end of this season.

Messi will turn 33 in June, but he's still the best player in the world. In 25 matches this season, he has returned 19 goals and 12 assists for Barca.

Given his experience of working under Guardiola, City would perhaps be the most natural fit for him away from the Camp Nou. The Sky Blues are one of the only teams that could afford to pay his wages too, which would potentially be even higher if he joined on a free transfer.

The Athletic's Sam Lee has said Messi won't be moving to the Etihad Stadium, though:

IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN but if City only signed Messi this summer and nobody else, would that be enough? Would his presence alone spark the others into raising their game, and would his on-pitch contributions transform performances? Just for debate cos IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN

— Sam Lee (@SamLee) February 6, 2020

Tom Allnutt of AFP also cast doubt on it given Messi discussed ending his career at the Camp Nou relatively recently:

Messi said in October he was pretty clear now he wants to retire in Barca because of the club but also his family and not wanting to break his children's friendships as happened to him when he left Argentina. For all that's happened, him going still feels q a remote possibility.

— Tom Allnutt (@TomAllnutt_) February 6, 2020

He has spent his entire career with the Catalan giants, so prising him from Barcelona would not be easy—even for City.

Newell's Old Boys, his boyhood club in Argentina, would likely be among his top destinations if he did decide to play elsewhere before hanging up his boots.

Manchester City have confirmed Raheem Sterling will miss Sunday's Premier League match at West Ham United because of a hamstring injury.

The Sky Blues tweeted the news on Thursday, with the England international suffering a damaged left hamstring. Sterling hobbled off the pitch after 84 minutes during Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Raheem Sterling will miss our game against West Ham this weekend after scans revealed he has suffered damage to his left hamstring.

Everyone at City wishes @sterling7 a full and speedy recovery 💙 pic.twitter.com/fVIgTtwTfW

— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 6, 2020

The 25-year-old will be a big loss, as he is one of City's most consistent forwards.  He terrorises defences with his direct play and netted 23 goals and provided 12 assists in 34 Premier League appearances last term.

Manager Pep Guardiola will be eager to see the Englishman back in action as soon as possible given he has continued his fine form this season, netting 16 goals and proving three assists in 29 appearances.

Fortunately for the Spaniard, his squad boasts an enviable amount of attacking depth.

Sterling plays anywhere across the front three, positions Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus also operate in. Midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva can also take up attacking positions if needed.

The England international is a fantastic forward and a big loss for Guardiola and City. But if any Premier League side has the depth to cope without him, it is the defending champions.

Manchester City full-back Angelino has opened up about his loan move to RB Leipzig after leaving the Etihad Stadium on the final day of the January transfer window. 

The Spaniard spoke to Kicker (h/t Sport Witness) after he was officially presented as a Leipzig player: "I didn't get many chances in the last club, so I had to look for new chances. It is great for me to have this opportunity."

He also suggested he has followed the recent progress of his new club: 

🗣️ @angel_tasende69 in his official presentation as a #RBLeipzig player:

"I was in talks with Leipzig for a while. The process here in Leipzig has fascinated me for a long time. So I'm really happy to be here." pic.twitter.com/DISB1tqdFl

— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) February 5, 2020

Angelino has already made his debut for the Bundesliga side, providing a key pass for Dani Olmo's goal in a 3-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHdJ_mIh0Hg

Manchester City sold Angelino to PSV in 2018, but after a successful spell in the Netherlands, the Citizens used a clause to bring the 23-year-old back last summer. He only made six Premier League appearances and one in the UEFA Champions League during the first half of the season, however, leading to another loan.

City have moved him around a lot since he first joined the club:

2012: Signs for Man City
2013: Joins Man City
2015: Loaned to New York City FC
2017: Loaned to Mallorca
2018: Loaned to NAC Breda
2018: Signs for PSV
2019: Re-signs for Man City
2020: Loaned to RB Leipzig

Angeliño is on the move again. pic.twitter.com/HeXdPE9gn0

— William Hill (@WilliamHill) January 31, 2020

Leipzig can make the switch permanent thanks to a clause in the loan agreement, but according to Kicker, the two clubs are keeping the potential fee a secret.

Leipzig are in the midst of a tight Bundesliga title race after an excellent first half of the season. After a draw and a defeat in their last two league games, they are now one point behind league leaders Bayern Munich, who have won six games in succession.

Die Roten Bullen sent Marcelo Saracchi and Luan Candido out on loan to gain some more experience, opening up a big hole at left-back.

Angelino is likely to see plenty of minutes as a result, and he believes he should fit right in because of the similarities between Pep Guardiola and RB coach Julian Nagelsmann:

🗣️ @angel_tasende69:

"Julian #Nagelsmann and Pep #Guardiola are really similar in how they doing things and in their footballing philosophies. Pep gave me advice about moving to the Bunesliga, and said it would do me good." pic.twitter.com/qewZiqw2Ds

— RB Leipzig English (@RBLeipzig_EN) February 5, 2020

With Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko locking down the left-back position in Manchester for now, another spell at the club does not seem likely for Angelino. He has a great opportunity to earn a permanent move to Leipzig, though.  

Manchester City players left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a state of shock and disbelief after their 2-0 defeat. 

Any small hopes of retaining the Premier League title were gone. Inside their dressing room, boss Pep Guardiola had given them a dressing down.

Onlookers in the bowels of Spurs' stadium on Sunday saw those City players creep away from north London knowing they had come up short in their title defence. We have now reached the end of this team's dominance.

We have reached a time when Guardiola needs to revamp a squad of champions and breathe new life into the club.

The Spaniard needs to prove he can bounce back from this—that he can rebuild and put City back on top of English football.

It's not something he is used to doing. At Barcelona, Guardiola spent four years as boss. At Bayern Munich, it was three years.

If he continues at the Etihad Stadium, as he plans to do, this will become his longest stint in one management job—and it will mean we can watch him oversee a rebuild. It will mean he builds Man City 2.0.

For many he is the most influential foreign manager to arrive in English football since Arsene Wenger, but how does he rise again after this season's title failure?

We reached out to insiders around City to try to discover what will be in store.

       

Defence

Defence is an obvious area of improvement, and there is a long-term plan in place for how they start to build again.  

Chief executive, Ferran Soriano, and director of football, Txiki Begiristain, are leading this overhaul. Guardiola is completely on board with what comes next, including the addition of two central defenders.

B/R sources indicate that one of those signings would be a top name ready to come into the side, while the other would be more of a long-term signing to be slowly eased in.

The idea is that City will have at least five strong options to pick from each matchday—Aymeric Laporte, Fernandinho and Eric Garcia will be among them.

Signs from insiders suggest that Nicolas Otamendi will almost certainly leave, while John Stones could also be on his way out if an appropriate offer lands from another club.

According to sources, Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, Caglar Soyuncu of Leicester City, Benfica's Ruben Dias and Milan Skriniar of Inter Milan are all believed to be top-tier prospects. Nathan Ake of Bournemouth and Villarreal's Pau Torres are two names also understood to be under consideration.

In the full-back positions, we should also prepare for signings. Benjamin Mendy is not safe from being put on the market—Leicester's Ben Chilwell is on the radar. Interestingly, Chelsea are also expected to pursue both Chilwell and Koulibaly if they emerge as attainable targets. 

            

Midfield

This is mostly a strong area—City are content with how the situation is shaping up, but there is also a feeling they might need one smart addition.

The good news is that Rodri is developing into a player they should be able to trust by next season; Phil Foden will step up to fill David Silva's boots and should finally be considered a regular starter; and Kevin De Bruyne is going nowhere and will continue to be one of their most important players.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VU0IDezch4

Silva will move on—as may Ilkay Gundogan, a decision is set to be made on him at the end of the campaign. There is every hope that Oleksandr Zinchenko can get back to being a midfielder, and Tommy Doyle, an 18-year-old academy product, will become a more recognised squad member as they continue his integration. 

The signing of an extra player is possible, and Ruben Neves of Wolverhampton Wanderers is someone they admire, as is Jack Grealish of Aston Villa, according to sources. B/R has also been informed that Marten de Roon, the Atalanta and former Middlesbrough player, is being scouted.

         

Attack

And so we move on to the forward line—and two men could leave in the summer. Leroy Sane to Bayern Munich remains a real possibility, while there is also a feeling from sources that Gabriel Jesus will decide to leave.

Jesus seriously considered his future last summer but decided to have another shot at nailing down a regular first-team spot. Indications now suggest he will not wait for another year after starting just 12 Premier League games this season.

City are confident Raheem Sterling will not move to La Liga this year, despite Real Madrid and Barcelona's watchful eyes, but the club are beginning to think about how to replace 31-year-old Sergio Aguero.

He has 21 goals from 25 matches this season, is their record scorer but wants to end his career back home with Independiente, and the club's recruitment staff are working hard to ensure they are not caught short when he makes that move. Ideally, they would want someone in before he leaves.

They have a buyback option on Jadon Sancho, giving them the opportunity to match any bids that are made to Borussia Dortmund, and they will have to consider the idea. PSG's Kylian Mbappe is hugely admired but out of their price range.

A more realistic option could be Mauro Icardi, a natural scorer, also from Argentina, who is currently on loan at Paris Saint-Germain from Inter Milan. Erling Haaland remains on their radar, and has a buyout clause of €75 million at Borussia Dortmund that kicks in after this summer.

These are fascinating times and part of the reasoning behind City 2.0 is to give Guardiola new strength. He remains one of the world's top coaches, but he may have reached a stage where his messages are not getting through as they once were.

As one insider told B/R in December: "Listening to the same voice becomes an issue at a lot of clubs, and just because Pep is the best, that does not mean he is immune to such an issue. There is nothing wrong with what he is saying. But it just might not be having quite the same effect on some players that it once did." Don't be surprised if a new coach turns up soon to help give him a new outlook on his squad.

City's title challenge for this year might be over, but the real test of Guardiola and Manchester City is only just beginning. This summer's shake-up will dictate how they bounce back to compete for English football's crown next season.

Listen to Dean every Wednesday on the B/R Football Ranks podcast. New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe here.