Manchester City has begun a rebuilding process after a quiet summer transfer window, which only saw Savinho joining and Ilkay Gundogan returning. In January, the club made significant moves by signing four new players to strengthen their squad.
This season at the Etihad hasn’t gone as expected, but Pep Guardiola, who recently signed a two-year deal, is determined to lead the team into the next phase with a squad in need of rejuvenation. The defense has improved, especially with the acquisitions of Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov, and the team also seems to have found a worthy replacement for Rodri in Nico Gonzalez. However, the attack still seems to need more reinforcements, despite the £59 million signing of Omar Marmoush. Jack Grealish, for example, has only scored twice this season, and Jeremy Doku has netted just six goals, highlighting the need for more competition in the wide areas.
A major regret for Manchester City could be the loss of Cole Palmer, a player who has impressed at Chelsea. Palmer has been one of the top performers in the Premier League over the last 18 months, contributing 60 goals and assists in just 75 appearances. Although it’s difficult to say whether he would have achieved the same success at City, his current form makes it clear that his departure was a mistake. Another City academy player who left and is now thriving is Jadon Sancho. After impressing at Borussia Dortmund with 117 goals and assists in 158 games, Sancho struggled at Manchester United and Chelsea, scoring just 14 goals in total.
Jamie Gittens, a player who left City for free in 2020, is another former academy star making waves, with 15 goals and assists this season, leading some to call for his inclusion in the England senior squad. Brahim Diaz, who also left City for a successful career, scored against his former club in the Champions League, while Michael Olise, another player who was once at City, has been outstanding at Bayern Munich. Olise, who joined Bayern for a fee of £50 million, has been exceptional this season, contributing 13 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, with Bayern on track to win the league.
Olise’s rise has been remarkable, and his current worth is estimated at £72 million, making it a bitter loss for City considering he left for free and Bayern’s relatively small investment in him. Guardiola is focusing on building a youthful squad, and Olise seems like the kind of player who would have been a perfect fit for City’s future. This situation is not an isolated one for Manchester City, as they have seen other promising players leave without reaping the rewards of their development. The sale of Morgan Rogers for just £750,000 could also be a future regret, as he shows great potential.
The club is now faced with the challenge of moving forward without some of these talents. Guardiola’s ambition to rebuild the squad is clear, but the question remains whether Manchester City can avoid further mistakes in their transfer strategy. The club has a history of successful acquisitions, but the loss of these young players may haunt them in the years to come as they try to maintain their dominance in English and European football. The challenge for City is to strike the right balance between developing their academy talent and securing top-tier players from the market. If they can manage this, they might still be able to achieve continued success, but it will require careful planning and decision-making.
