Manchester City have their top transfer targets but their summer will also depend on which players in the current squad want to leave
Josko Gvardiol had a frustrating season with Manchester City
Enzo Maresca will inherit a strong Manchester City squad. Under Pep Guardiola this season, they won two trophies and also pushed Arsenal into the final week of the Premier League season, with the Champions League the only major disappointment.
As City chased silverware in the final two months of the campaign, Guardiola made few changes as he largely settled on a best XI that – other than Bernardo Silva – will all still be here for the new manager. Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo have made the summer transfer window easier with the way they instantly settled into the starting lineup after their January moves.
How busy City are over the next few months will largely be guided by how many others in the squad want to stay though. Guardiola’s decision not to significantly rotate had a knock-on effect for many others in the group that saw them get little game time, giving them personal disappointment to end the campaign.
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As City players assess their options, there will be a number who at least think about whether the Etihad is still the right place for them going forward.
Savinho
For the second consecutive summer, Tottenham are interested in the Brazilian winger and City haven’t immediately turned them away. They did ultimately last season, but it has been another frustrating campaign for the 22-year-old that saw him even fail to make the 55-man longlist for the Brazil World Cup squad.
There is still time for things to click and Maresca could revitalise him – he always looks better on the left rather than the right – but equally there is a clear opportunity for a change of Premier League environment that could be the spark that Savinho needs. With Jeremy Doku having his best season and Semenyo fresh competition, Savinho has to decide if he wants the fight at City or a new challenge elsewhere.
James Trafford
Trafford has done very well this season to retain if not enhance his value given that he was replaced as No.1 after three league games. He has impressed in the limited opportunities he has had and won two trophies at Wembley in his role as cup keeper as well as earning a spot at the World Cup with England as third-choice keeper.
The 23-year-old has been thinking about an exit for some time given he wants to be No.1 for club and country, and is not short of interest in England and Europe. At the same time, the arrival of Maresca back at City may give him pause for thought given the two had a strong relationship when they were in the academy together.
Nico Gonzalez
Nico Gonzalez has had the bigest fall from grace of any City player this season. Nobody made more consecutive starts than him as he clocked up 15 in the first part of the campaign, but by the end of it he was left out of matchday squads entirely; missing the FA Cup final completely after scoring a banging winner in the semi must have hurt.
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Eighteen months since signing for £49m, Gonzalez still doesn’t really have a role in the squad and he and Maresca will have to work out how to get the best out of him on a regular basis – or if anyone is best served with a move.
Josko Gvardiol
The silver lining for Josko Gvardiol’s season is that he has recovered in time for the World Cup. There was a chance that his broken leg could have seen him miss the summer tournament but he worked hard to return in four months rather than the six it could have been.
Gvardiol has the chance to show on the biggest stage once again that he is one of the best defenders in the world, and that will only enhance his appeal to the best clubs in the game that have recognised he is yet to sign a new deal at the Etihad. There are still two years on his contract, but this would be the last summer for City to get big money for him if he makes it clear he wants to look elsewhere after a bruising two years in English football.
Omar Marmoush
Marmoush hit the ground running when he signed in January 2025 but this season has been a write-off. Being back-up to Erling Haaland is a role with a limited shelf life because of the frustration that comes with not playing, and makes being asked to contribute without any rhythm so much harder.
There is every chance that Marmoush vows to turn things around and force his way back into the team next season, but at the same time, looking over to Spain to see how Julian Alvarez has flourished since being Haaland’s No.2 will make a move seem more attractive.
Rico Lewis
It was a dream start to the season for Lewis, shunning a move to Forest and earning a new City contract after a standout performance in the opening game. Things very quickly went downhill though and he has barely been seen in the second half of the season, with the writing seemingly on the wall for his City career unless there is a shock U-turn.
Lewis had been seen as a player similar to Bernardo Silva so could try his chances of filling in for that role, but with Elliot Anderson likely to be on his way that is the more likely destination for most of Silva’s minutes. Lewis has had plenty of time to consider a move and it feels like he needs a new start somewhere.
Rodri
City don’t want him to move on but he is approaching the final 12 months of his contract and heading to the World Cup without signing a new deal. Similar to Gvardiol, as he goes away with his national team, he will have to think about whether the brutal schedule in England is still something he thinks is best for his body or if there are other routes to challenging for major trophies that will give him a better chance of avoiding injuries.
