In the first half of the current championship, “Manchester City,” which faced a comprehensive crisis, began to make significant changes to its squad ahead of the next season.
In this process, Josep Guardiola found it most appropriate to part ways with experienced players who have served the club for several years but are aging, and to replace them with representatives of the new generation.
The reputable English source cityxtra.co.uk highlighted the generational change occurring in the “Manchester City” squad.
- To address the problems accumulated in the team, the “Citizens” took swift actions during the winter transfer period, adding Abduqodir Husanov from “Lans,” Vitor Reis from “Palmeiras,” Umar Marmush from “Eintracht,” and Niko Gonzales from “Porto” to the team for a total of £181.5 million.
Since August, the team's main defenders Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, and John Stones have spent a lot of time recovering from injuries, which has posed significant challenges for the team.
The central defenders who joined in January – Abduqodir Husanov and Vitor Reis – began to alleviate the team's problems. In particular, the Uzbek defender has become an integral part of Josep Guardiola's team.
A new sporting director, Hugo Viana, will soon start working at the club, and it is expected that this specialist will initiate serious changes in the main squad. Already, club representatives are looking to transfer some players to other teams.
According to several sources, considering the successful transfer of Abduqodir Husanov, the “Citizens” have offered Manuel Akanji, who plays in the same position, to “Real” club.
Although the Swiss central defender, who will turn 30 at the end of the season, has a contract with the Manchester club for another two years, the club's management is ready to put Akanji up for transfer in the summer. If the Madrid superclub, which is determined to renew its defense line, finds him appealing, the Manchester side will wholeheartedly support his departure, as reported by cityxtra.co.uk.
According to the source, Josep Guardiola is also prepared to part ways with Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Ederson, and Bernardo Silva, who have been the core of the team for several years. In particular, the futures of central defenders Nathan Ake and John Stones at the club are also uncertain, similar to Manuel Akanji. These players have not been able to reach a high level in terms of physical condition and preparation over the past 18 months.
According to Guardiola's long-term plan, only 28-year-old Ruben Dias should remain among the experienced defenders alongside Abduqodir Husanov and Vitor Reis. The Spanish coach believes that this player has not yet reached his peak and still has room for growth, which will, in turn, help the new young defenders.
Experts in transfers note that the officials of “Manchester City” plan to direct the funds obtained from the sale of experienced players during the squad renewal process towards acquiring talented young players in the summer.
