And already rumours swirl over which players Pep Guardiola might add to his star-studded squad this summer to propel the back-to-back-to-back champions of England on to yet further glory. West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta is the latest name linked with a big-money switch to the Etihad.

But almost as big a part of City’s ability to sustain success as their spending in the transfer market is their readiness to move on from players no longer fulfilling a meaningful role within Guardiola’s team.

The departures of the likes of Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte in recent seasons felt risky at the time, but hindsight quickly proved City had been savvy in knowing just when to sell to both maximise a financial return to fund further spending and to guard against complacency.

With that in mind, here are five players City should look to sell this summer.

Kalvin Phillips

Currently on loan at West Ham and struggling to win over fans at the London Stadium, the writing is on the wall for Phillips’ City future.

A bizarre signing even at the time, City paid £42 million to acquire the England midfielder from Leeds two years ago. Phillips had impressed in guiding his hometown club back to the top flight and helping them avoid relegation in their Premier League return. He had shown himself to be combative and disciplined in a holding midfield role, while also possessing the passing skills to influence play and the athleticism to spring forward and aid the attack when required.

But there was little about Phillips’ performances that suggested he could make a meaningful impact at arguably the best club side in the world. Signed to be a rotation option amid a heavy schedule of fixtures for a team competing for trophies on all fronts, bad injury luck and sub-par displays in the few opportunities he was afforded meant the 31-cap England international was unable even to attain that status.

City will almost certainly look to offload Phillips this summer, bringing to an end a spell with the club that included just two Premier League starts.

Kyle Walker

One Yorkshireman who has enjoyed a much more successful time at the Etihad is Kyle Walker. But the full-back will be 34 before the end of the season and, after he came close to joining Bayern Munich last year, this summer might be the right time to bring to an end his glittering seven-year stint in sky blue.

For his consistent delivery from wide, the technical skills that allowed him to thrive under Guardiola in a system that demands more of its full-backs than most, his athleticism up and down the flank and he rapid speed in one-v-one duels with opposition wingers – not to mention his part in five league tiles, two FA Cups and Champions League triumph – there is a strong case to be made that Walker is the best right-back in Premier League history.

But his age, his apparent openness to playing overseas and the emergence of 18-year-old Rico Lewis mean City and Walker can part ways amicably and with the 82-cap England star’s status as an Etihad icon assured.

Matheus Nunes

After City hammered Sporting CP 5-0 in the first leg of a Champions League last-16 tie in 2022, Pep Guardiola hailed then-Sporting midfielder Matheus Nunes as “one of the best players in the world”.A year and a half later, City swooped to sign the Brazil-born Portugal international from Wolves – for whom he’d played for just one season – in a £53 million deal on transfer deadline day.

Shortly after Nunes arrived at the Etihad, Guardiola admitted that he had been mistaken and that the 25-year-old was not, in fact, of the world’s best.

“Maybe I overexaggerated a little bit,” he said. “He’s not. But he’s an exceptional player.”

The City boss might be minded to wind his statement back even further now, almost a full season into Nunes’ time with the club and with the former Wolves star having made very little impact for the Treble champions.

Except for a gruesome broken finger sustained against FC Copenhagen in the last round of the Champions League, Nunes has been relatively injury free this season. Yet in a campaign that has seen fellow midfielder Kevin De Bruyne limited to just seven Premier League starts, Nunes has hardly figured, starting just six league games.

It is not uncommon for new arrivals to require a season to bed in at City and acclimatise to Guardiola’s demands – that was the case for Jack Grealish after he signed from Aston Villa three years ago, for instance.

But with Paqueta a target and likely to cost in excess of £80 million, City might want to consider cutting their losses on Nunes before his value plummets further.

Joao Cancelo

Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo is still technically a City player, even though he has not played for the club in almost a year and a half.

Cancelo arrived at the Etihad from Juventus in the summer of 2019 in a deal worth £60 million. And his performances for Guardiola’s side in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 title-winning seasons appeared to mark him out as a long-term City star.

But he was loaned to Bayern Munich in last season’s January transfer window and he has spent the whole of 2023-24 out on loan again, this time with Barcelona.

The 29-year-old has started 23 of Barcelona’s 30 La Liga games so far this season, scoring twice and providing three assists. Whether his future beyond this term lies in Catalonia or elsewhere, east Manchester looks off the table. City should look to make any future move for Cancelo permanent.

Sergio Gomez

Signed from Anderlecht two summers ago to provide cover at left-back, former Spain under-21 international Sergio Gomez has never looked a qualitative fit for City.

Gomez had been Anderlecht’s Player of the Year in his final season with the club, scoring five goals and providing 12 assists in the Belgian top flight. His productivity has not survived the step up to the Premier League level, however, with just two assists to his name across two seasons.

Ad

Manchester United football director John Murtough is to leave Old Trafford after over 10 years service this week with David Ornstein revealed he decided to step down and with Sir Jim Ratcliffe now in the clear to bring in two stellar new appointments.

British billionaire Ratcliffe finally saw his £1.3bn investment into 27.7% of Manchester United go through in early February and the 71-year-old has wasted little time in stamping his authority at Old Trafford. Indeed, even before Ratcliffe’s arrival was given the green light, the club announced that long-serving CEO Richard Arnold was to depart the club, with Omar Berrada – who made the cross-city switch from Manchester City – due to be appointed in his place.

However, that looks to be only the tip of the iceberg with Ratcliffe eager to assemble the strongest backroom team possible at United in an  effort to re-establish the club among the leading forces into English and European football.

To that end, the club has also announced the appointment of the hugely-respected former Juventus and PSG director Jean-Claude Blanc as part of their new-look set-up.

But having been handed ‘full sporting control’ as part of his £1.3bn investment, it is the way in which United have approached and handled the transfer market which has been the British businessman’s first and most major area of improvement.

As a result, they swooped in quickly to appoint Dan Ashworth as the club’s first-ever sporting director. Moving from Newcastle, who have since placed the 52-year-old on gardening leave, Ashworth’s appointment is reportedly set to cost the Red Devils an eye-watering sum of money in compensation.

Joining him at Old Trafford will be Jason Wilcox, who is to arrive from Southampton to take up a position as technical director. The former Leeds and Blackburn winger was selected for the job ahead of Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman.

John Murtough shown the Man Utd exit door

With the duo set to officially take up their positions at the end of the season, plenty of speculation has been placed over the future of Murtough, the man previously put in charge of all United’s transfer dealings.

The 53-year-old was appointed by the club back in 2013 following previous stints working for the Premier League, Everton and Fulham.

Initially brought in to focus on on the academy and scouting, Murtough was promoted to head of football development in 2016 and became United’s first football director in 2021, where he was placed in charge of all transfer activity.

That role saw him placed in charge of the club’s incoming and outgoings on the transfer front, while he was also a key figure in the appointment of Erik ten Hag as manager in 2022.However, it is his role as the club’s main transfer decision maker for which he is most often judged, be it rightly or wrongly.

And despite having spent £518m since taking charge of transfers in 2021, his decision making in the role has seen him come in for criticism with many accusing him of wasting United’s transfer cash with a series of ill-judged signings.

To that end, Ratcliffe has reportedly been hugely critical of United’s decision to sign the likes of Casemiro and Raphael Varane for both hefty fees and on hefty contracts; moreso given the pair were considered to be in the autumn of their careers upon their arrivals for a combined £111m from Real Madrid.

But as Ornstein, writing for The Athletic, claims, Murtough will ‘leave United’s squad largely as he found it – an uneven, imbalanced and slightly bloated hodgepodge of players that somehow still has plenty of gaps to fill.’

Murtough to officially depart Man Utd this week

As a result, his exit will be officially confirmed by the Red Devils before the end of the week, with Ornstein confirming his departure.

He wrote: ‘In a move now set to be officially confirmed, Murtough has decided to stand aside altogether and let the new set-up take shape.

‘Murtough will effectively be replaced by Dan Ashworth, once the Newcastle United sporting director’s spell of gardening leave finishes, while Southampton director of football Jason Wilcox is on course to be named technical director.

‘United hope Wilcox will start in the coming weeks, provided an agreement can be reached on compensation, whereas more time could be required for Ashworth to commence duties.

‘It brings to an end Murtough’s decade at United’.

While Murtough’s exit will be welcomed by many, he does take some credit for the work he has done at Old Trafford with their ongoing success in producing stellar youth talent – Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo being the stand-out names – as well as his transformation of the women’s side also seen as a positive development.

Incoming new Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has reportedly earmarked Sunderland star Anthony Patterson as an ideal first signing – and the talented goalkeeper could become the first new arrival of the Ruben Amorim era amid claims a popular Reds man is set to quit this summer.

The Merseysiders are preparing for what will be a summer of major changes at Anfield, with the clock now very much ticking down on Klopp’s wonderful near-nine year stint at the helm. With around six weeks left before he waves farewell, Liverpool hope to bid the legendary boss goodbye with at least one more cup added to his seven-trophy haul with the Reds still very in the Premier League title race and also installed as favourires to win the Europa League.

And with TEAMtalk sources revealing a deal is closing in on the appointment of Amorim as his successor, a change of manager won’t be the only major change at Anfield this summer.

Indeed, the Reds are also ready to welcome in Hughes as the replacement for Jorg Schamdtke as sporting director with his appointment already agreed and with the Scot set to leave his current position with Bournemouth once the current campaign draws to a close.

The 44-year-old Glaswegian will be put in charge of overseeing Liverpool’s summer recruitment and, working alongside new CEO of football Michael Edwards, will help shape identity and ultimately sign a number of big-money targets.

Top of his agenda is likely to be a top new centre-half, with Joel Matip likely to leave at the end of his contract. The Reds may also be in for a replacement for Mo Salah, amid ongoing speculation of a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.

Hughes may need to replace Klopp favourite at Anfield

However, there are also reports that Liverpool’s hugely-popular No 2, Caoimhin Kelleher, could also depart Anfield this summer.

The Irishman has stepped in admirably in recent weeks as a replacement for the injured Alisson Becker, proving himself arguably one of, it not the best deputy goalkeeper the Premier League has to offer. Here, this list ranks the Premier League’s best No 2’s with Kelleher, quite rightly, ranking extremely high.

Despite his excellent displays, all at Liverpool know that Alisson remains the undisputed No 1 – and the Brazil international will reclaim the gloves the very moment he is fit to resume duties.

And once again, that will leave Kelleher kicking his heels on the sidelines, with reports now suggesting he will push to depart Anfield as a result.

Indeed, the 25-year-old came close to quitting Anfield last summer amid links to the likes of West Ham and Tottenham. Ultimately, Liverpool’s £20m valuation dissuaded his suitors from making a move, with Klopp  – a huge admirer of the player – also convincing him to stay.

However, there is a growing speculation that Kelleher could depart this summer and reports of a move to Celtic, who are looking for a new goalkeeper with Joe Hart due to retire.

The Hoops would love to get their hands on Kelleher as his replacement, though Liverpool’s valuation is way beyond their financial means and such a deal remains a problem.

Nonetheless, interest in the 12-times capped Ireland international is likely to be high and he will explore opportunities to leave Anfield this summer.

Liverpool want Sunderland star to replace Kelleher

Per the latest reports, Hughes has been casting his eyes on would-be replacements for Kelleher and Alisson’s number two and it seems they have settled on Sunderland star Patterson as their perfect choice.

The England Under-21 international is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers outside the Premier League, having made 119 appearances for the Black Cats since his debut in the 2020/21 season.

One of the first names on the Sunderland teamsheet, the 23-year-old is reknown as a both a great shot-stopper and a good commander of his area, drawing comparisons to another former keeper in Jordan Pickford.

Rated at around the £20m mark, it’s claimed Hughes has recommended Patterson as the ideal replacement for Kelleher if the Irishman leaves and a man who could one day even succeed Alisson in the Reds’ goal.

His talents have also been endorsed by the Wearsiders’ former boss Tony Mowbray, who has told Sunderland Nation exactly why Patterson has the qualities to reach the very top.

“He has got a personality that is good for a goalkeeper. He’s not up bouncing around all of the time. He’s calm, assured and relaxes the back line. He does his job,” Mowbray said.

“He wants to learn. As his confidence grows, he has got a huge future in front of him.”

Mowbray said of the 23-year-old previously: “Listen, he’s a top goalkeeper.

“I’ve been in football more than 40 years and this kid is a very talented boy who has an amazing temperament.

“Nothing fazes him, he’s very calm about everything, he’s not bouncing all over the place and losing the plot.

Man Utd will axe Donny van de Beek once and for all this summer and a report has revealed £47m should be enough to sign his goalscoring replacement.

Van de Beek’s career has crumbled ever since moving to Old Trafford from Ajax in 2020.The Dutchman cost a package worth £40m, though has not proved value for money.

Van de Beek has returned lowly figures of just two goals and two assists in 62 matches for the Red Devils. Poor displays and a loss in confidence has resulted in a pair of loan spells in recent years.

The 26-year-old is currently loaned to German side Eintracht Frankfurt until the end of the season. The deal contains an option to buy worth €14m (future add-ons included).

However, according to German outlet Fussball News, Frankfurt have decided they’ll ignore the option. As such, Van de Beek will be returned to Man Utd this summer.

Explaining the factors behind that call, the report highlighted sub-standard displays since Van de Beek joined Frankfurt.

The midfielder has thus been limited to six appearances during the spell and has been an unused substitute in each of Frankfurt’s last three matches.

But upon returning to Manchester, Fussball News state he’ll not remain in the north west of England for long.

Van de Beek’s existing contract expires in 2025 and as such, the pressure is on Man Utd to find a buyer this summer. Failure to do so may result in Van de Beek leaving for nothing a year later.

United are thus prepared to significantly reduce their transfer demands and are willing to incur a gigantic loss on the player.

Replacement to come from Atalanta?

Potentially taking Van de Beek’s place as an attack-minded option in central midfield is Teun Koopmeiners of Atalanta.

Man Utd have scouted the Dutch international who has already scored 13 goals from midfield this season.

The 26-year-old is also on Juventus’ radar, though according to today’s print edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Man Utd’s presence in the race is emboldening Atalanta to hold out for a big fee.

It’s claimed Atalanta could be willing to do business for €55m/£47m. That level of price tag all but rules Juventus out of the running, thus making Man Utd favourites.

Liverpool too have been linked with Koopmeiners, though if Van de Beek departs and the rumoured sales of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are explored, it’s Man Utd who’ll have the greater need for Koopmeiners.

THIRD TIME LUCKY FOR ARSENAL STAR

Trabzonspor are strongly considering offering Mohamed Elneny a contract this summer. Elneny’s current deal with Arsenal expires at season’s end and he’s unlikely to be given an extension. Trabzonspor have tried to sign Elneny on two previous occasions, and given a transfer fee won’t be required, it could be third time lucky. (Turkish press)

If Saudi Arabian sides bid for Mohamed Salah this summer, the offers may be worth just £70m due to the Liverpool ace having one year remaining on his deal. The Reds rejected a verbal offer worth £150m last summer. (talkSPORT)

West Ham ace Lucas Paqueta is “pushing” to join Man City this summer. Personal terms were agreed last year prior to Paqueta’s £80m transfer falling through and the agreement is still in place. (Rudy Galetti and FootMarcato)

Paqueta could be the replacement for Bernardo Silva who is the subject of renewed transfer interest from Barcelona. Silva can be signed via a £50m release clause. (Sport)

Anthony Martial is being considered as a budget-friendly option by Inter Milan. Martial will leave Man Utd as a free agent this summer. (Rudy Galetti)

Leeds United have made contact with the representatives of Kalvin Phillips regarding a spectacular return to Elland Road. Phillips has flopped at West Ham while on loan from Man City who will entertain permanent offers this summer. (Sports Zone)

LIVERPOOL MAKE AMORIM BREAKTHROUGH

Liverpool have a verbal agreement in place with Ruben Amorim to succeed Jurgen Klopp as their next manager. (Sky Germany)

The Sporting CP boss 39, will be offered a three-year contract. (Pedro Sepulveda & Sky Germany)

Juventus will sign Lazio winger Felipe Anderson – formerly of West Ham – as a free agent this summer. (Fabrizio Romano)

Borussia Dortmund have made an approach to the camp of Johan Bakayoko. The PSV Eindhoven winger, 20, has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Salah at Liverpool and has notched 25 goal contributions this season. Any Bakayoko transfer is likely to cost in excess of €40m. (Eindhovens Dagblad)Bakayoko is also a target for Burnley and Brentford. The latter came close to signing the Belgian winger last summer when tabling a club-record £34m bid, though Bakayoko rejected the move. (Voetbal International)

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr has no interest in leaving Los Blancos despite reported interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and PSG. (Marca)

PSG’S BIG SUMMER PLANS

PSG are ‘relentless’ in their unwavering desire to sign Barcelona midfielder Gavi. (L’Equipe)

The Parisian side are also lining up Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to replace Kylian Mbappe who’ll join Real Madrid as a free agent. Kvaratskhelia could cost €100m to sign. (Il Mattino)Kvaratskhelia’s replacement in Naples could be the familiar face of Aston Villa loanee, Nicolo Zaniolo. The Italian’s camp have described a potential summer move from parent club Galatasaray to Napoli as a “very welcome solution.” (Zanioli’s representatives)

Rangers are set for a big clear-out in the summer with some of the club’s most well-known figures heading for the exit and a number of first-team players out of contract. One of those is full-back Barisic, who has been a stalwart at the club for the last six years.

Barisic’s deal is expiring in June and TEAMtalk revealed in February that he has been told he can find a new club ahead of next season.

There have recently been reports that the left-back has agreed to join Turkish side Trabzonspor after finalising a pre-contract deal.

TEAMtalk has close sources to any potential deal, though, and those sources have shut down the idea of that move being done. The Croatian international has not yet made a final decision over his future.

It is true that Trabzonspor are keen and have offered Barisic a lucrative contract, though the player is still weighing up their proposal.

Trabzonspor are not the only club interested in the 31-year-old, as he is also wanted by sides in Spain, Germany and Italy.

Barisic is no longer first choice at Ibrox with Turkish international Ridvan Yilmaz taking his spot. A pre-agreement has also been finalised for Brazil U21 international Jefte, who will join Rangers in the summer.

Barisic is eager to play a part in Rangers’ title challenge and has been clear he adores both the club and life in Glasgow. His ultimate aim is to finish the season winning a potential treble under manager Philippe Clement.To date, the former Dinamo Zagreb star has made 231 appearances for Rangers, chipping in with 10 goals and 54 assists in that period. Barisic has helped Rangers win the Scottish Premiership title, Scottish Cup and the League Cup since moving to Ibrox in August 2018.

Arsenal are to reportedly switch their transfer focus towards Wolves star Joao Gomes amid claims the Brazilian has been identified by Mikel Arteta and Edu as the ideal partner for Declan Rice in the Gunners midfield next season.

The north London giants are preparing for Tuesday’s massive Champions League quater-final first leg against Bayern Munich at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening as they look to take a giant step towards their first appearance in the last four of competition since 2009. Arsenal are also very much embroiled in the race to win the Premier League and hope to get their hands on the trophy for the first in 20 long years.

With the Gunners clearly upwardly mobile, plans are being put in place already for the summer window and in an effort to further solidify their squad.

To that end, Arteta and Edu are intent on signing a new striker to compete with Gabriel Jesus and amid claims that Eddie Nketiah has been cleared to leave. As a result, the likes of Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen have all been touted with big-money moves this summer.

However, the Gunners are also intent on bringing in a new midfielder with Mohamed Elneny due to leave at the end of his contract and amid speculation over the long-term future of both Thomas Partey and Jorginho. Both or either could depart, leaving Arsenal with a sizeable hole to fill in their squad.

They have been strongly linked with Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, though his £100m valuation would likely prove an issue, while the midfielder has himself moved to strongly distance himself from exit speculation this summer.

Arsenal plot move for Joao Gomes

However, there is another Midlands-based Brazilian also catching their eye too in the shape of Wolves star Joao Gomes, who is enjoying a wonderful season for Gary O’Neil’s side.

Going a little under the radar compared to some of his peers in the Premier League, those in the know can see all too well how the 23-year-old has developed into one of the best all-action midfielders in the English game.

Signed for a bargain €18.7m (£16m) from Flamengo in January 2023, Gomes has thrived at Molineux and become one of the first names on O’Neil’s teamsheet this season, making a total of 30 appearances across all competitions.

Now soon of the big-spending Premier League sides are starting to sit up and take notice of his talents, with Manchester United among those touted as having a strong interest in the Wolves man.

However, reports in Portugal now claim it is Arsenal who are showing the strongest interest in acquiring his services, with Tuesday’s edition of O Dia stating the Gunners have been watching his progress with growing intent in recent weeks.

And per their report, the recently-capped Brazil international will become their top transfer priority this summer as they look to nail down a long-term partner for Rice in their engine room.

O Dia states that Edu is now planning to ‘make an offer’ to Wolves for Gomes ahead of the summer window opening for business and in an effort to steam past their rivals in the race for his signature.

Wolves media rate Arsenal target extremely highly

While the article does not mention what such a deal would cost, it’s previously been suggested that it would take an offer of around £60m to tempt the Old Gold to cash in on the twice-capped Brazil star.

His loss would certainly be hard to take for O’Neil, who has made clear his admiration for the midfielder on multiple occasions this season.

And after shining for Brazil in recent internationals against England and Spain, Express & Star journalist Liam Keen has made clear exactly what makes the 23-year-old such a rising talent.

“It’s important to remember that he started both of those friendlies [for Brazil] ahead of someone like Douglas Luiz,” Keen began on the E&S Wolves podcast.

“Joao Gomes starting ahead of him is really quite big. I’m delighted for him, he’s a really important player who I hope will continue to get better.”

Keen also insists the best is yet to come from Gomes, who can become one of the best around in years to come.

“I think he’s a magnificent player. There’s still a ceiling he hasn’t reached which is the most exciting thing about Joao Gomes.”

Gomes’ deal at Molineux does not expire until summer 2028, with Wolves also retaining an option to extend that agreement by a further 12 months.