The 2024/25 season has been relatively poor for Manchester City, and that may have opened Pep Guardiola’s eyes as to where he needs to improve his team in the next few transfer windows.
The Citizens are expected to have a busy end to the January transfer window, as they add several new players to the squad in the hope it can help them get back into the top four as well as compete in the Champions League and FA Cup. But given the form City have been in, especially around the Christmas period, Guardiola may now be aware of players who don’t have a long-term future.
So, with plenty of players arriving in January and potentially more on the way in the summer, we have taken a closer look at which City players could leave the club in the not-too-distant future.
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ByHenry Jackson 1 Scott Carson
Scott Carson joined Man City back in August 2019 on loan from Derby County. His loan lasted for two seasons before it was made into a permanent transfer in 2021.
Carson was brought to City as their third-choice goalkeeper, with his addition to the senior side aiding the team’s homegrown quota. The shot-stopper has played just two games for City, the last being in the 2021/22 season, and now at 39 and with his contract expiring this season, he could be set to leave the Etihad.
The Englishman could decide that this is the right time to retire and move into the next stage of his career, while City may see this as a good opportunity to freshen up their goalkeeping department.
2 Ederson
As well as Carson potentially leaving this summer, Ederson could also be set to end his time at the Etihad. The Brazilian joined City in 2017 and has gone on to play over 350 games for the club, becoming one of the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League, if not the best.
However, this season has been a bit of a struggle for the 31-year-old, as while dealing with injuries, he has also been dropped by Guardiola in recent weeks.
Ederson was heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia last summer, but a move didn’t work out, and with his contract up in 2026, a move to get him out of the Etihad this summer could be on the cards to avoid the club losing him for free later down the line.
The Sky Blues have reportedly identified Diogo Costa as a top target for a new goalkeeper, and his arrival would surely spell the end of Ederson’s time at the club.
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ByHenry Jackson 3 Kyle Walker
Kyle Walker’s seven-and-a-half-year spell at Man City looks to be coming to an end, as he wants to try a new challenge. Guardiola recently revealed that the right-back has asked to leave the Premier League champions as he wants to play abroad.
The Englishman has been strongly linked to Milan in this January transfer window on a loan deal. Walker is under contract at City until 2026, so unless there is an obligation-to-buy clause inserted, he will be returning to the Etihad, but a permanent move will likely occur in the summer given his desire to leave the club.
Considering he is 34, it is probably the right time for Walker to leave City, as the Citizens will have their eye on signing a player who can play that role for the foreseeable future.
4 John Stones
John Stones is another City player who is under contract until the summer of 2026, and given he is now 30, a decision could soon be made about his long-term future at the club.
Stones has had some tricky spells at City but has overall been an important player for Guardiola. However, injuries this season have meant that he has played just 12 times in all competitions so far, and with the champions now having sealed the signings of Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov, letting a central defender leave may be a plan of theirs.
At times, Stones has found his position under threat, and with new arrivals, plus Josko Gvardiol and Manuel Akanji potentially being ahead of the English defender in the pecking order, Stones could be the one to make way to balance the books.
5 Matheus Nunes
Despite only joining the club in 2023, Matheus Nunes could be a player who City look to move on in the coming transfer windows as they reshape their squad.
The Portugal international earned his move to the Etihad after impressing at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Nunes hasn’t been given the same number of opportunities as he was at Molineux, and when he has played, he has struggled to make an impact.
It was reported back in October that City were ready to sell Nunes at the end of the season as he had fallen down the pecking order. The 26-year-old continues to be in and out of the City side despite their woes on and off the pitch, and if he fails to nail down a starting spot during their struggles, he could be a player Guardiola decides to sell so they can get their money back.
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1 ByStephan Georgiou 6 İlkay Gündoğan
İlkay Gündoğan made a sensational return to the Etihad during the summer transfer window, and the German was hoping to carry on from where he left off in 2023.
While he has played in the majority of the games for City, Gundogan hasn’t quite had the same impact on this team as he did previously. The 34-year-old has looked leggy and overrun at times in this campaign, and with him only signing a one-year deal, an exit could be on the cards once the current season finishes.
Gundogan’s return may have helped Guardiola fill the void in midfield for this season, but the City boss will probably have his eyes on bringing in a younger player who can do what the German is doing now.
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ByCharlie Smith 7 James McAtee
James McAtee is a player who has a bright future ahead of him, and he would have been hoping that he could have spent it as a regular City player. However, the midfielder has struggled for consistent minutes at the Etihad this season after they decided against loaning him out following two successful spells at Sheffield United.
By mid-January, McAtee had played just 13 times for City in all competitions this season, with only three coming as a starter. Amid his situation, several Premier League teams and European sides are thought to be chasing his signature, whether on a loan or permanent switch.
The 22-year-old is another City player who is under contract until 2026, so a decision will likely be made soon over what happens to his long-term future, and if his minutes don’t improve, a move could be on the cards sooner rather than later.
8 Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne is facing a very important few months, as his Man City contract expires at the end of this season, while it remains unclear if he will sign a new deal or look to leave the club.
The Belgium international is one of City’s best players of all time and has been so important in their success over recent years, but at 33, injuries and fitness are starting to take over, and he isn’t quite having the same impact that he once did.
Apps
402
Goals
104
Assists
175
As of 20th January 2025
De Bruyne was heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia during the summer and continues to be linked with such a move, while he is also thought to be on the radar of a few MLS clubs.
The Belgian is now free to speak to overseas clubs, and even if a deal is not agreed upon, his time at City looks to be ending, and a move does look likely to happen in the summer as his contract runs down.
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ByBarney Lane 9 Jack Grealish
England attacker Jack Grealish is another star who could be leaving Man City in the coming months.
The 29-year-old’s time at the Etihad has been very stop-start, and given he is not getting any younger, a move away could soon happen, especially if City decide to bring in a new player in that area of the team.
Grealish already has strong competition in the form of Jeremy Doku, so another arrival could spell the end of his time at City.
Tottenham were linked with a move for Grealish back in November, and while their interest may not be sustained, he could have potential suitors if he continues to be in and out of the City team.
The Englishman is contracted at the Etihad until 2027, so it gives City some time to decide, but a sale in the summer could be City’s best chance of recouping a lot of the money they spent to get him out of Aston Villa in 2021.
