Three key Manchester City players are reportedly on the way out as part of Pep Guardiola’s upcoming squad overhaul, with the 2024/25 season potentially marking the final year for some of the club’s most experienced stars.
City’s struggles this season, compounded by a five-game losing streak across all competitions, have raised concerns about the long-term future of several senior players. Despite the club’s current crisis, the team’s aging core appears set for change, with Guardiola looking to restructure the squad for the future.
The players most likely to be affected by this impending rebuild are Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, and Ilkay Gundogan, all of whom are nearing the end of their prime years. Former Manchester City financial advisor, Stefan Borson, has suggested that these veterans will likely leave the club within the next two years, possibly sooner.
“I think Guardiola’s contract is good for the stability because to try and have succession issues at the director of football level and also the first-team coach level is a very difficult thing to manage and negotiate,” Borson explained to Football Insider.
“City will at least now know that only one is changing at each time, so they will have the opportunity for Hugo Viana to work together with Guardiola and the rest of the team to really rebuild over the next two years.”
Borson highlighted that the club’s aging players—particularly Walker, De Bruyne, and Gundogan—are nearing the end of their careers, with Borson suggesting that their departures are a matter of when, not if.
“These will be the final two years on any basis of those players. It may even be the final year, but they definitely won’t see out more than two years. That phase of the rebuild can be done with Guardiola in place.”
The trio has been integral to City’s success in recent years, but their declining fitness and advancing age mean they may no longer fit into Guardiola’s vision for the club’s future. As City look to refresh their squad, there are expectations that younger, more dynamic players will be brought in to lead the next phase of Guardiola’s project.
While the ongoing injury crisis at City, including the absence of key figures like Rodri, has exacerbated their current struggles, Guardiola’s focus remains on long-term sustainability. With the manager’s contract extension ensuring continuity, the club will likely prioritize both immediate recovery and future planning in the coming seasons.
With City currently languishing in eighth place in the form table, a top-four finish and a return to Premier League dominance this season now appear unlikely. As Guardiola begins planning for a significant rebuild, the departures of De Bruyne, Walker, and Gundogan may soon become one of the club’s most significant transformations in recent years.
