The relative demise of Manchester City over the past couple of months in the Premier League has been filling column inches of every sporting and footballing publication worth their salt.
From conspiracy theories about Pep Guardiola, the club’s ownership and rumours of dressing room unrest, the narratives being drawn around the Etihad Stadium are one of complete doom and gloom.
However, the reigning Premier League champions are still very much in the hunt for the Champions League places, a trophy they won themselves for the first time in 2023 and as with any great sporting institution, the blues won’t be looking to surrender their dominance over English football quickly.
At the start of the 2024/25 Premier League season, Manchester City were the firm favourites to make it 5 EPL titles on the bounce, with both old and new sportsbooks alike but they are now very much on the periphery in the title race, with most betting outlets.
There appears to be various factors at play when discussing City’s struggles but a lack of investment in the playing squad over the past couple of seasons, does look to have finally caught up with them.
A few regrets?
Pep Guardiola is a manger well known for his ruthless approach, with greats of the game such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ronaldinho and Yaya Toure all having felt the wrath of the great man throughout his career.
At City, the likes of Joe Hart, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus have all been moved on, at times when some onlookers have felt they should have stayed and generally, City have not looked back from those departures.
However, some of the in-form Premier League and European players at the moment have come through the system and City could be longing for them back in their ranks.
Cole Palmer has been an absolute revelation since he joined Chelsea from City in the summer of 2023 and his impact at Stamford Bridge could result in the blues mounting a title charge.
He is joined in West London by Jadon Sancho and Tosin Adarabioyo, two more players City have let depart the Etihad over the past few seasons.
From Pedro Porro at Tottenham, Liam Delap at Ipswich, Morgan Rogers at Aston Villa and Jamie Gittins at Borussia Dortmund, the list of players City have let go over the past few seasons is seemingly never ending and perhaps Guardiola and his coaching staff may rue some of the decisions they have made.
Spending Splurge
One of the upsides to Manchester City having said goodbye to plenty of players in the past few seasons is the profits they have managed to land for themselves.
They made over £700m in profit last season, a record for a Premier League team and there is a feeling that City are ready to give Pep Guardiola free reign to bolster his squad.
Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea have spent astronomical sums of money over the past few seasons to close the gap on City and it does feel as if the blues could look to keep the balance of power in their favour.
Who could be the new arrivals?
For all the success that City have enjoyed over the past decade, there is a feeling that a refresh is needed within the squad at the Etihad Stadium.
Kyle Walker, Ederson, John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernado Silva and Kevin de Bruyne are all the ‘wrong’ side of 30 and their impact at the club is naturally going to start to lessen.
Guardiola has always talked about his eye for the future at City and the investments he looks to make over the next few transfer windows could well be with that in mind.
Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen is a player that has long been on City’s radar and how he would give a creative spark to Manchester City’s faltering attacking line.
Premier League knowhow has been mooted in the likes of Adam Wharton, Bruno Guimares and Morgan Gibbs White, three players that certainly have the capacity to bolster City’s leggy midfield.
Whilst defensively, Murillo and Milos Kerkez are just two players that appear to have the hallmarks of a Pep Guardiola player.
Historically, City have never been too shy when it comes to putting their hands in their pockets to sign new players and it promises to be a fascinating period at the club, as they look to maintain their hold on English football.
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