Manchester City agreed four deals in January to complete a prospective squad for the 2025/26 season, with half a starting XI already under contract for the following year.
City brought in Julian Alvarez from River Plate on a five-and-a-half year contract, with the plan for him to join the squad after July at the earliest. He has been signed as a City player, rather than someone to be loaned out around City Football Group clubs, and City will hope for him to be a viable forward option for the years to come.
The news on Tuesday of Joao Cancelo's new contract was met with universal appreciation, keeping him at the club until 2027, like Alvarez. Those deals come after youngsters Shea Charles and Finley Burns also committed their futures until 2027 after impressing for the youth team and making their senior debuts earlier this season.
Now those four players have signed on for the 2026/27 season, City can boast six players on the books for five years' time, with just a midfield to complete and a central striker who is the main target for the summer transfer window. If, or when, that high-profile signing does arrive, City would likely be keen to offer them a long-term contract until 2027 at least.
And the January deals arranged already in 2022 also mean that City's options for the 2025/26 season now stretch to a full starting XI, albeit with a bit of moving players around.
In goal, City fans will hope Ederson retains his pinpoint passing and fine reflex saving ability as he has a current deal that runs until 2026, as does John Stones. The England centre-back can partner Ruben Dias in defence with the Portuguese on a contract until 2027.
For the purposes of this starting XI, Burns will need to play at full-back despite being a central defender, with Cancelo on the opposite flank. Shea Charles can anchor the midfield in front of the back five.
The midfield is another makeshift department, with Cole Palmer's contract expiring in 2026 and Jack Grealish a Blue until 2027. Both are currently preferred as wingers but could move back into a more central role in five years' time. Grealish will be 31 by the time his contract runs out, so that may be a natural progression for him anyway.
And their moves into midfield allow space for Alvarez on the right and Kayky on the left, with the promising Brazilian on a deal that currently goes until 2026. Liam Delap can complete the 2025/26 line-up through the middle.
If City want to strengthen that side, which is currently full of youngsters not guaranteed to still be at the Etihad by that point despite their enormous potential, they can look to players at their prime now and who may be entering the ends of their careers in five years.
Kevin De Bruyne, Aymeric Laporte, Nathan Ake, Bernardo Silva and Zack Steffen are all on contracts until 2025 and would all turn past 30 in their final years at it stands. De Bruyne will be 35 by the time his latest deal runs out. Any extensions could offer City the experience they need for a balanced squad.
Bernardo is the latest Blue to be reportedly close to signing a new deal, while other players who could sign with contracts until 2024 include Phil Foden, Rodri and Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Raheem Sterling has a deal until 2023 but would only be 30 in 2025, so could be persuaded to stay if he is assured of his future at the club.
Man City potential starting XI for 2025/26: Ederson; Burns*, Stones, Dias*, Cancelo*; Charles*, Palmer, Grealish*; Alvarez*, Delap, Kayky.
[* - under contract until 2027.]
