Manchester City's 2024 summer window shopping list assessed - Guimaraes, Frimpong, Savio and more.
- William Russell
- Jun 18, 2024
- 15 min read
After winning the Premier League for the fourth consecutive season, it seems ludicrous to suggest that Manchester City need to strengthen certain areas of their squad in the summer.
But despite their success, they can't afford to be complacent in the transfer market.
City did win the Premier League, but they'll be disappointed to have crashed out in the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League against eventual winners Real Madrid and lost to local rivals Manchester United in the final of the FA Cup.
Most particularly, their record in big games against fellow clubs competing for trophies needs to improve, with the inability to win those big games costing them in Europe and almost in the league as well.
A few important players in the squad have a real possibility of leaving this summer - whilst certain areas that have been unaddressed for a little while now, such as finding a reliable back up for Rodri, will surely be looked at by the club's board.
The inevitable event of impending doom that is fast approaching - namely Pep Guardiola leaving the club - could be as soon as next season, which will of course also have an impact not just on City's position at the top of the game, but on their future transfer policy in attracting the biggest stars.
Funds for this transfer window will likely be created by the departures of squad players such as Joao Cancelo, Kalvin Phillips, Maximo Perrone, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tommy Doyle (who has already agreed a deal to join Wolves) James McAtee and Josh Wilson-Esbrand; all fine footballers, but who have either burned their bridges with the club or are unlikely to ever be a part of the main City squad.
Having this money available and with a few top quality individuals on the transfer market, City could very feasibly spend more on one individual player than the £100 million they spent on Jack Grealish in 2021 , which would break their transfer record.
We analyse the different areas of City's team, and the ways in which they may recruit in order to improve their team ahead of next system.
Goalkeepers
In an ideal world, City would head into next season with the exact same goalkeeper configuration as the past two seasons, but that unfortunately is no certainty.
Scott Carson's rolling contract at City is likely to see him stay yet another year, taking his total up to six seasons in sky blue as City's third choice goalkeeper, with his main contribution to the club coming with his strong leadership and infectious personality in the dressing room.
At one stage, Stefan Ortega-Moreno, who provides the headache of being simply too good to be a backup goalkeeper, appeared to have one foot out of the door after being linked to a move to become a first choice at another club in Europe.
The 30 year old would start for any club in the Premier League outside of the current top five, and for plenty of other top teams in Europe such as Bayer Leverkusen, Porto, Napoli, Inter, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax and Benfica.
If Ortega was already considering leaving to pursuit regular first team football, that can only have been fuelled by his omission from Germany's Euro 2024 squad taking place in his own country.
But thankfully, Ortega put all speculation to bed by signing a one year extension to his City contract, keeping him at the club until 2026 and sealing his short term future at the club.
But what that means for Ederson, City's first choice goalkeeper since 2017, remains to be seen.
Ederson has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, and after seven seasons and six Premier League titles with City, he may decide to leave the club this summer and see out his career in a warmer climate on a massive wage.
He may well be tempted by the move, especially seeing Ortega, a goalkeeper who is very much capable of usurping him as first choice, commit his future to the club.
If the 30 year old were to leave, the board would be forced into looking for a new goalkeeper, most likely a new second choice with Ortega promoted to first choice goalkeeper.
They would struggle to find a replacement up to the German's quality who would be comfortable sitting on the bench all the time, but there are a few options.
Other than a few howlers at the start of April, Aro Muric looked more or less solid in goal for Burnley since usurping James Trafford in the closing stages of the season, and is an option that could be considered considering his previous connections with City and their playing style.
32 year old Paulo Gazzaniga may be another option for City - he has Premier League experience with Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton and is comfortable playing in a possession based system at City Football Group sister club Girona.
And, as a curveball, Arsenal backup goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale may consider a move to the Etihad after losing his place as first choice keeper at the Gunners.
He wouldn't be a regular starter in the league or Champions League but he'd get a good wage, play all of the domestic cup games and have an almost guaranteed chance of winning silverware, whilst putting his name in the hat to be Ortega's long term replacement at four years his junior.
If they decide to keep Ortega as a backup goalkeeper, Mike Maignan from AC Milan could be a good option to slot straight into the lineup, with rumours in the press that City would be interested in bringing the Frenchman to the Etihad Stadium.
Despite these good options, however, the best possible solution would be to keep Ederson around for as long as possible; the club suffered losing a key part of their furniture this time last year (Ilkay Gundogan) and would yet again struggle to adapt without a player who is so key to their possession style of football.
Ortega is quality and will help fill the void - but a part of me feels that losing a player as crucial as Ederson would mean City are weakened ahead of next season no matter who they bring in to replace.
Defenders
Currently, City have eight defenders fighting for four places in the starting XI, and it's safe to assume that six of them will still be at the club next season.
Josko Gvardiol is a certainty to stay with the Blues, considering his fantastic form at the end of the season and that he only joined for big money last summer, and is rumoured to have been offered a contract extension according to @RealTolmie, a reliable source for City news, on X.
Rico Lewis will stay too; he is viewed as someone who can break into the starting XI soon at either right back or in midfield and it just 19, he still has plenty of room to develop his game under Guardiola.
There are a few rumours swirling around about a potential loan move, and whilst I feel that the right move could only benefit Lewis, I feel that he is much more likely to stay and try to prove his worth at City.
It'll take a big offer from another club for Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake or Ruben Dias to be allowed to leave, and I suspect it's highly unlikely that any of those three players will be actively looking to depart in the summer, meaning it's almost certain they will stay too.
John Stones's 2023/24 season was plagued with repetitive injuries, and he lost his place in the starting XI at the end of the season, meaning a potential move may be on the cards.
But in my opinion, City would be daft to let him leave, as his profile as a centre back is unique to no other in the world with his ability to push into midfield and provide an extra man to help control possession against tough opponents - and a move is unlikely anyway with no reputable rumours linking the 29 year old away from the club.
If a centre back were to go, it wouldn't be surprising to see City make a move for young Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite as a replacement.
The 21 year old has enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season for the Toffees, and made England's 33 man provisional squad for the European Championships 2024 before he was controversially cut out of the 26 man travelling squad.
He's comfortable with both feet and now could be a perfect time to integrate him whilst he's still raw and with potential to grow under the stewardship of Dias, Akanji and Stones.
His minutes will be limited at first, however, and with other big clubs such as Manchester United swarming around, a move this summer at least would appear to be very likely.
This just leaves two players - Kyle Walker and Sergio Gomez.
Gomez seems a fairly simple case - it's clear that he's not trusted by Guardiola (Crystal Palace away springs to mind, where he was told to put his coat on after he was due to come on before City conceded a late goal to make it from 4-1 to 4-2 with ten minutes left ) and is likely to depart this summer.
He is very good on the ball and offers a lot going forward as a full back, so he will have no shortage of suitors when it comes to top division clubs looking to acquire his services this summer.
Real Sociedad are linked with signing the 23 year old, but would need to raise money first, but there should be no shortage of alternative options for Gomez.
His place in the squad could be filled by Callum Doyle, a young defender who impressed on loan at Championship winning Leicester City from the Blues and can play left back or centre back.
Doyle is an academy graduate so would be automatically popular with the fans and wouldn't expect many minutes, making this appear to be a no brainer for City this summer - especially when considering it won't cost them any money either.
Walker is City's club captain, and has just come off the back of a solid season, but he may opt to leave this summer at the age of 34 for one final move before he retires.
He'll likely have interest from Saudi Pro League clubs, as well as from a number of top flight sides in England, Spain and Germany.
Bayern Munich have expressed an interest in Walker before, only for him to be persuaded to stay by Guardiola in a pre-season meal between the pair last year.
Their interest in the England international could be reignited this summer, particularly with Walker's former teammate Vincent Kompany now in charge and with Joshua Kimmich linked to an exit.
If he is to leave, City have a ready made replacement lined up; former academy product Jeremie Frimpong has a £35 million release clause in his Bayer Leverkusen contract, and after a great season at Xabi Alonso's invincibles side, he may choose to leave this summer for a bigger club.
Frimpong may offer more going forward than Walker, but in the last 18 months Guardiola has preferred to operate with "proper defenders" and hasn't consistently played an attacking focused full back since Cancelo, who was often exploited for his lack of defensive capabilities.
It's harsh to categorise Frimpong in such a way, but it'd be a move away from Guardiola's recent system to bring him into the club as a defender, therefore making it more likely that Walker stays at the club for one more year at least.
Midfielders
If speculation is correct, midfield is the area of Manchester City's team that could face the biggest change this summer.
Kalvin Phillips endured a torrid first 18 months at City, before his loan spell at West Ham was even worse, as he couldn't even get on the pitch for the Hammers after a string of poor performances at the start of his loan.
Phillips's days at the club appear to be numbered, meaning City are likely to spend big on making a move for a player who can deputise for Rodri when needs be as the lone six, but can also play further up the pitch as an eight (effectively replacing Gundogan after he departed in 2023.)
Mateo Kovacic had a very good first season at City and will surely remain a reliable squad option for next season, but very few would argue that he could be upgraded on.
Initially, the idea was to bring in Lucas Paqueta from West Ham United, who City have long held an interest in and has an £85 million release clause in his contract as of this summer, which would see Kovacic drop deeper and act as the main back up defensive midfielder.
But the Brazilian is currently facing charges of serious breaches of betting rules which could reportedly see him banned from competitive football for up to 10 years if proven guilty (effectively ending his career) meaning City are reluctant to bring him in.
Joshua Kimmich was also rumoured to be on the move at one point, but all speculation seems to have been put to bed after Thomas Tuchel's departure, meaning he will likely stay put under new manager and former City skipper Vincent Kompany.
An alternative option, therefore, could be Paqueta's Brazil teammate Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United. The 26 year old has a release clause of £100 million, and Newcastle are rumoured to have to sell at least one of their star players this summer to adhere to Financial Fair Play regulations.
City are reportedly interested in Guimaraes, who is capable of playing as a lone six, in a double pivot or as a more advanced eight. He is technically gifted, and has an eye for a wonder goal from the edge of the box.
He wears his heart on his sleeve, and has shown in the Premier League and the Champions League that he is good enough to play for City.
The release clause expires in June, so we'll know fairly soon as to whether Guimaraes will be in sky blue or not next season.
As for the rest of the midfield, it's safe to assume that Rodri and Phil Foden will stay (and both potentially sign a new deal) but other than that, there is no guarantee that anyone else will stay.
Kovacic probably won't leave, but there have been rumours linking him to the Saudi Pro League or a move to Galatasaray. The same applies to Kevin de Bruyne, although at the age of 32 and after eight seasons of service, he is more likely to go.
De Bruyne in particular would need replacing with genuine world class quality - namely either Jamal Musiala or Florian Wirtz, both of whom the Blues have been linked to loosely perhaps as more long term targets.
But the Belgian is comfortable at City, and neither Wirtz nor Musiala appear to be on the move, meaning he is likely to stay put for at least one more season.
Matheus Nunes struggled to adapt in his first season, and there are rumours that City are willing to listen to offers for him this summer with Saudi clubs interested.
Nunes is by no means the first player to struggle in his first season at City, and it's doubtful that they'll want to abandon him after one season after spending over £50 million on him and due to the promise he showed at Sporting and Wolves.
But, as a deadline day signing that came somewhat out of nowhere, Nunes has often faced the accusations of being a panic buy from the board, and it was clear at the end of the season that Guardiola didn't properly trust him.
For the sake of Nunes's career and for City's midfield rebuild, it may be for the better for City to cut ties with him this summer if an appropriate offer comes in that the player himself is happy with.
If Nunes is to leave, City will need to replace him, with a few options available on the transfer market.
Eberechi Eze can play centrally or on the wing, so is an option who has been linked with City before. Joao Neves is another option, but he wouldn't be cheap, at about £100 million, and is attracting more concrete and committed interest from elsewhere. He is, however, an option to keep an eye on as a long term target.
Dani Olmo is another player who City have been consistently linked with for the last few windows. He can't play deeper in midfield, but can play as an attacking midfielder, a winger on either side or as a striker, so could be a useful option for City to bring in as a cover for approximately €60 million.
Of those options, Eze seems the most appealing, as he has Premier League experience, is versatile and adds to City's homegrown status quota, as well as being a quality technical player.
He'll also be a fresh, hungry face in the squad to keep the rest of the group eager to continue winning ahead of next season with a positive mentality and his own individual qualities.
Forwards
In terms of central strikers, City are fairly comfortable with keeping Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez for many years to come. The pair are two of the best strikers in the world, and there is no way City are going to want to sell either of them unless they have to.
Rumours would suggest that Atletico Madrid want to sign Alvarez, and the 24 year old could well be tempted at the prospect of regular football for one of the best teams in the world.
However, with four years left to run on his contract and for such a vastly experienced winner at the age of 24, City will likely demand a fee of more than £100 million, which is probably out of Atletico's price range.
City don't want to sell Alvarez, and will only listen to any offers for him at all if he expresses a desire to leave, according to reputable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Alvarez has expressed a desire for more playing time (despite playing more minutes than any other player bar Ederson, Walker, Rodri and Foden in the Premier League) but whether he explicitly requests to leave or not remains unseen.
If he were to leave, then City would have to try and find a replacement, which is difficult as not many players in world football are comfortable playing as a striker or an attacking midfielder to the same standard as the Argentinian.
Olmo would be an obvious choice, and earlier in the window, City were linked with Rodrygo from Real Madrid, however unlikely that transfer may be.
The Brazilian has come out in public and said he's happy at Real Madrid, but with Kylian Mbappe and Endrick joining Los Blancos next season, his game time will be limited and if not this season, he may look to make the move to Manchester next year to be an option either out wide or down the middle.
Therefore, in terms of forwards, it's more likely that we'll see movement in the wide positions than at centre forward.
Of all of City's wide options, the most likely to stay is Jeremy Doku. The 22 year old had an inconsistent but overall very good debut season at City, and is only likely to improve in his second campaign.
His overall minutes should increase next season, as well as his goal output in terms of assists and goals scored himself.
Unfortunately, the most likely winger to leave by a long way is Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese international has been desperate to leave City and move to a warmer climate since 2020, and with a £50 million release clause in his contract as of this summer, it could finally be the year he departs.
But, there has been no reported concrete interest in Bernardo so far. I wouldn't put it past him staying at the club beyond this summer, and once again play a crucial role on the wing or in midfield.
If he does leave, City will need to add another top quality number eight central midfielder (i.e. Kimmich or Neves) and a potentially right winger, ideally a left footer.
Pedro Neto and Michael Olise would be the two ideal options from within the Premier League. From outside the Premier League, Nico Williams and Ousmane Dembele are versatile and quick wingers who are probably of good enough quality to be a part of City's squad, so could be potential options to be signed.
But adding two players to replace Bernardo will likely lead to an overfilled squad. The midfield will be stacked, and, if Foden is included, there could be as many as six players competing for two positions on the wing, which would simply be too many to keep the squad harmonious.
Therefore, unless Jack Grealish leaves, it's unlikely that City will sign a new first team winger.
Grealish's omission from the England Euro 2024 squad came as a shock to many, so much so that it wouldn't be surprising if he was considering a move to a club guaranteeing football and giving him more freedom to let his creative talents shine.
But by all accounts, Guardiola is determined to keep Grealish as a part of his squad, as he fully recognises that the 28 year old at his sparkling best makes City a better functioning team.
The other two wingers will definitely remain on City's books next season, but whether that is at City or on loan at another club remains to be seen.
The first is Savio, who is set to be City's first signing of the summer. The Brazilian impressed on loan at Girona last season from fellow City Football Group club Troyes, and is subsequently rumoured to have agreed a deal to move to City this summer.
Whether he remains with the first team squad or is loaned out remains to be seen. Girona would happily take him back, as would many Premier League clubs, but I would love to see him given a shot in the main squad this season in the hope that he will freshen up City's attack in the same way Doku was able to.
And finally, there is Oscar Bobb. The young Norwegian has impressed every time he's stepped on the pitch for City, with his superb technical ability and attacking threat already surpassing that of Cole Palmer when he played in sky blue.
Considering Palmer's sublime first season at new club Chelsea, in which he scored 22 Premier League goals, it's exciting to see what Bobb may offer in the future if he lives up to or even surpasses Palmer's potential.
Despite his obvious quality and his readiness for City, it might benefit Bobb to go out on loan in the hope that he'll have a Palmer-esque break out season whilst remaining a City player.
The 20 year old would start for most teams in the Premier League. Newcastle United in particular are in need of a wide attacker, and a loan deal for Bobb may sweeten any potential deal for Guimaraes that City will look to complete.
But the most likely option for me is Bobb staying, with the hope of an increase in playing time from last season to aid his development, similar to that of Foden and Lewis.
Ideal squad for next season
Goalkeepers: Ederson, Ortega, Carson.
Defenders: Lewis, Walker, Stones, Akanji, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol, Callum Doyle.
Midfielders: Rodri, Bruno Guimaraes, Kovacic, Eberechi Eze, De Bruyne, Foden
Wingers: Bernardo, Bobb, Savio, Grealish, Doku Forwards: Haaland, Alvarez
Incomings - Savio, Doyle, Guimaraes, Eze.
Outgoings - Gomez, Phillips, Cancelo, Nunes
Future targets to keep an eye on - Branthwaite, Neves, Musiala, Wirtz, Rodrygo
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