Manchester City will have to return to the drawing board this week after Saturday’s defeat on Saturday against Tottenham.
City endured a miserable 2024/25, abandoning the crown of the Premier League which they had won in four successive seasons and also making an early exit from Europe.
This season was supposed to concern redemption. They took a good start, winning 4-0 at Wolves on the opening weekend, but the Spurs match was undoubtedly the first real test of the rebuilt city, and they failed.
Guardiola was exaggerated by Thomas Frank while the reconstruction of the club in 2025 continues not to look unconvincing.
Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Rayan Ait -Nouri, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and James Trafford were all signed for large money – they spent about 350 million pounds sterling, and yet they seem well behind the tastes of Liverpool and were born.
City was once eminent operators on the transfer market, but it is now just to question the management of the recruitment team.
You can also say that the club does not sell very well.
City rejected serious talents since Guardiola took over in 2016.
Here, we are looking at an XI of players who have left Etihad in the past nine years. Is it just to wonder if the spilled “XI” would beat the current range of the city?
Goalkeeper
Arijanet Muric – Sold in Burnley for 2.6 million pounds sterling in 2022
This choice would have been much easier if Trafford had not returned to the club this summer.
Muric has never appeared in the Premier League for City. He had loan spells in Nac Breda, Nottingham Forest, Girona, Willem II and Adana Demirspor before obtaining a permanent move to Turf Moor.
He was a regular at the team who won the Promotion to the Premier League in 2022/23 before joining Ipswich. Currently plays for Sassuolo in Serie A.
Rear right
Pedro Porro – Sold for Sporting CP for 7.6 million pounds sterling in 2022
Porro has joined the city of Girona but failed to usurp Kyle Walker of the right back slit.
The loan moves to Valladolid and Sporting CP followed before moving to the Lisbon Club on a permanent basis in May 2022. Barely eight months later, he moved to Tottenham on an agreement which became permanent in the summer of 2023 for costs approaching 35 million pounds Sterling. Impressed in northern London and is considered one of the most attacked rear in the elite.
Left -back
Joao Cancelo – Sold in al -Hilal for 21.5 million pounds sterling in 2024
The Cancelo CV is powerfully impressive with spells in Benfica, Inter, Juventus, City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona. However, he was deemed in surplus to the requirements at Etihad after a row reported with Guardiola, despite a role in three Premier League victories. Playing now for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
Half centers
Aymeric Laporte – Sold in Al -Nassr for 24 million pounds Sterling in 2023
One of the lynchpins of city’s successes under Guardiola – Laporte won five Premier League titles and the Champions League during his stay in Manchester. Was surprisingly authorized to leave in 2023 to reach the Saudi side al-Nassr, where he plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Was linked to a return to Europe with Real Madrid.
Nicolas Otamendi – Sold in Benfica for 13 million pounds sterling in 2020
Acquired a reputation as a wild and unreliable defender during his stay in City and was often unjustly distinguished for criticism. Since then, his career has proven his criticism. Otamendi won two America COPAS with Argentina and began the victory of the World Cup final against France in Qatar. Always become strong at 37, will be almost certainly part of the Lionel Scaloni team who hopes to defend its world title in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.
Midfielder
Douglas Luiz – Sold in Aston Villa for 16.5 million pounds sterling in 2019
Bring in Europe of Vasco Da Gama, Luiz never appeared in a first team match for City. Was sent on loan to Girona before moving to Villa Park after obtaining a work permit. Quickly established itself as a key player in villa, making more than 150 appearances before moving to Juventus for 43 million pounds sterling. Failed to settle in Turin and last week joined Nottingham Forest on a season loan.
Jack Grealish – Loaned to Everton for the 2025/26 season
Grealish remains the record signing of City after joining Aston Villa for 100 million pounds sterling in 2021. Landed lightning of his natural capacity under Guardiola, but was often rejected to the left wing where he sometimes had trouble influencing the games. Won three Premier League titles and the Champions League, but his relationship with Guardiola never seemed to be built on mutual trust. Took an impressive start to Everton and scored the two goals in the 2-0 Sunday victory over Brighton.
Riyad Mahrez – Sold in Al -Ahli for 30 million pounds sterling in 2023
Was the most expensive footballer in Africa joined City for 60 million pounds sterling in 2018 after playing a key role in the remarkable triumph of the Leicester Premier League in 2016. Won four other Premier League titles in City and was part of the team that finished the triple national and continental people who included the Champions League in 2023.
Cole Palmer – Sold in Chelsea for 42 million pounds Sterling in 2023
The poster for those who criticize the city’s sales. The local boy Palmer joined City at the age of seven and progressed in the ranks of young people before making his debut in 2020. Was never given a lot of chance at the level of the first team and left for Chelsea in order to play more Premier League football. Palmer flourished at Stamford Bridge, helping them to become world champions with two goals in the final of the Club World Cup against Paris Saint-Germain. Considered one of the best creative talents in Europe, it should be the cornerstone of the new look of England under Thomas Tuchel.
Leroy Sane – Sold in Bayern Munich for a first £ 39 m in 2020
Would have left City earlier if it was not for an LCA injury in the 2019 community shield against Liverpool. An extremely talented winger who won four crowns of Bundesliga in Bayern before leaving for Galatasaray at the start of this season.
Striker
Julian Alvarez – Sold at Atletico Madrid for 65 million pounds sterling in 2024
City can at least claim to have made a huge profit on Alvarez after having signed him for only 14 million pounds sterling in 2022. Scored 20 goals in 67 games in Etihad, but has become more and more frustrated by the lack of playing time behind Erling Haaland. Was authorized to leave for Atleti, for whom he scored 29 goals and provided eight assists in 57 appearances in all the competitions of his first season in Spain. His departure seemed even more mystifying when Haaland underwent an ankle injury that prevented him for several weeks while City drink during the 2024/25 season.
Substitutes
Edin at
James McATEE
Ferran Torres
Angelino
Eric Garcia
Oleksandr Zinchenko
Gabriel Jesus
Danilo
Kyle Walker
Raheem Sterling
Taylor Harwood-Bellis
