Man City might sell up to eight top players this summer as Real Madrid shows interest
Manchester City might say goodbye to up to eight players as they make big changes to their team following Pep Guardiola’s exit, according to reports.
Guardiola ended his amazing 10-year run at City, leaving with two more trophies that brought his total to 20 at the Etihad Stadium.
His assistant, Enzo Maresca, is expected to take over, but he’s not the only one leaving—John Stones and Bernardo Silva are also set to move on this summer.
But the changes don’t stop there. The Athletic says up to eight more players could leave in their latest transfer update.
Nathan Ake is likely to depart, and midfielder Nico Gonzalez might be let go if City manage to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
Mateo Kovacic is another player who may leave. He still has a year left on his contract but only came back from an ankle injury near the end of the season.
Josko Gvardiol’s future is also uncertain, with big clubs like Bayern Munich and Real Madrid showing interest. He has a contract offer but is still thinking about his options. After a serious leg injury in January, he bounced back in time for the World Cup.
Tijjani Reijnders might leave after just one season since joining from AC Milan, especially with Atletico Madrid interested.
Omar Marmoush’s future is unclear, and so is Rico Lewis’s—he was a favorite of Guardiola but struggled for playing time near the end of the 2025/26 season.
James Trafford, who was second choice to Gianluigi Donnarumma after coming back last summer, is planning to think over his future after the World Cup. He played under Maresca when they won the Premier League 2 title in 2021.
Ruben Dias is also linked with a move to Real Madrid, where Jose Mourinho has just been appointed manager again.
City need to find a replacement for their captain Silva and have made Elliot Anderson from Forest their top target.
Forest knocked back City’s first offer, but City plan to come back with a better bid for Anderson, who is also being chased by Manchester United.
Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali is seen as another option, and Spurs’ Pedro Porro might be a target for right-back.
City also want a new winger since Savinho is likely to leave. How many new goalkeepers and left-backs they bring in will depend on who goes out.