Premier League champions Manchester City may be forced into transfer sales this offseason

16.06.23 1200

Manchester City had one of the most incredible seasons in sports history in 2022-23. The Cityzens’ season wasn’t just a great football campaign, it was one of the best in all sports of all time.

Pep Guardiola’s team played 60 matches, winning 44, drawing 10, and losing six. The club missed out on just one trophy during the season, the League Cup, as they conquered three other competitions.

In the wake of Manchester City’s win over Internazionale in the Champions League final, the Sky Blues front office is already putting together plans to build on the current squad.

City have shown previously they will not stand by and allow the squad to age or regress. Nor will Manchester City allow players to disrupt the squad.

Several players are angling for moves away from the Etihad Stadium and City will need to address several positions to ensure they battle for more silverware next season.

The forgotten player in Manchester City’s treble win was full-back Joao Cancelo.

The defender let his unhappiness be known by teammates and coaches in the first half of the season. Guardiola immediately axed Cancelo, sending him out on loan to Bayern Munich.

Cancelo could have accepted his role and played when called upon, but he threw his toys out of the pram.

In the end, Cancelo went to Bayern where he played 15 Bundesliga games, scoring a goal and assisting four.

Bayern Munich have already said they will not try to activate Cancelo’s buy-clause in the contract. He didn’t do enough to impress the Germans. Manchester City will look to offload Cancelo somewhere else.

Bernando Silva just never seems happy in Manchester. For the last three summers, the midfielder has tried to force through a move to Barcelona.

Ridiculously, Silva is determined to play for a club with no money that struggles in Europe rather than to play for the top team in England.

Manchester City have said they will sell Silva if Barcelona offer a reasonable fee. So far, the Blaugrana haven’t offered a reasonable fee or any fee for that matter.

Kyle Walker spent much of the season on the bench although he did make 32 appearances in the Champions League and Premier League combined.

The 33-year-old is likely to move on with chances limited. City could rethink selling Walker due to a lack of full-backs.

However, a lack of full-backs won’t faze Guardiola. He played most of the second half of the season with four centre-backs on the pitch.

Recent reports claim Riyad Mahrez is Saudi Arabia bound. If City receive a large transfer fee for the winger, then you can expect them to quickly reinvest it into the team.

Ilkay Gundogan’s future is also unknown, with Barcelona linked to the free agent.

The only player City are currently linked with is Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic. The midfielder will likely join the Sky Blues, as Chelsea are determined to sell players to buy even more.

Last summer, Man City sold Raheem Sterling to Chelsea, showing they aren’t afraid to sell star players to rival Premier League teams.

It could happen once more, with City seeking to add fresh players to the squad this season ahead of the next campaign.