Manchester City are at risk of losing four key player on free transfers next summer with a quartet of Pep Guardiola’s side entering the final 12 months of their contracts next month.
City announced the exits of captain and midfielder Fernandinho, as well as reserve goalkeeper Scott Carson this summer following the end of the 2021/22 campaign, with both men seeing their contracts expire.
Now the focus is on the future and City have already acted in this summer transfer window, with forwards Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez arriving from Borussia Dortmund and River Plate respectively, although Alvarez’s deal was completed earlier this year before he returned to Argentina on loan.
Striker Gabriel Jesus’ chances of minutes are set to receive a massive blow with Haaland and Alvarez both arriving to the Etihad Stadium. The Brazilian is among the quartet of players at risk of being lost for free next year, however, he has been heavily linked with transfer interest from Arsenal.
Of the four key players with contracts expiring next year, Jesus is the most likely to leave Manchester before the start of next season, with the remaining trio playing more of a key role in Guardiola’s side in recent times.
Recent inaccurate reports suggested that German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan travelled abroad to hold talks over a transfer exit. The ex-Dortmund man has however recently said that while he would be interested in playing in America or Turkey, he would happily spend the rest of his career with Guardiola’s side, although the Manchester Evening News have reported that he will want more game time next season.
Whose contracts did Manchester City need to extend first? Have your say in the comments section.
Winger Riyad Mahrez scored 24 goals in all competitions and ended the 2021/22 season as the club’s top scorer. However, his long-term future remains uncertain with little over 12 months remaining on his current deal.
Fellow wide forward Raheem Sterling was third for goals last term with 17 but like Mahrez, finds himself with an uncertain long-term future under Guardiola. La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have expressed an interest in the four-time Premier League winner.
While the list only consists of four players, all four have been integral in City’s success in the Guardiola era, with the rest of City’s squad having a minimum of two years on their current contracts.
Phil Foden signed a six-year deal back in 2018 which runs out in 2024, giving him two years left on his deal deal with the Sky Blues. Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kyle Walker and Rodri also have deals that currently run until 2024.
Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte are the stars with three years left on their deals, giving City plenty of protection over them.
John Stones and Ederson have contracts until 2026, while Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Jack Grealish all have deals keeping them at City until 2027.
