The 2025 Rebuild of City Squad

[Blue Bogey]

I think this rebuild is so important it deserves its own thread. I know there are some, though I expect few who will say we will be fine once we get over the injuries, but I think those fans are getting fewer.

There are some questions that are important for the rebuild.

1 - Should Pep be in charge of the rebuild?
2 - Which players should be moved on in 2025?
3 - Which players should be offered new contracts?
3b - What players should we be targetting?
4 - Who is making the decisions for the rebuild, i.e. Txiki or Hugo Viana
5 - How will the 115 PL charges decision and other outside influences reflect on the rebuild. Do we wait until after the decision of the independent commission?
6 - what sort of figures do we realistically have to spend on a rebuild?
7 - With the bad form we are in, how as fans can we help the club?

We definitely need a rebuild, but I am concerned players are not bought for Pep’s system as a new manager in maybe a 1 or 2 years if Pep leaves, may not want his players and the transition will take longer.

As fans, today is another huge blow in a period of really poor form. We don’t seem to have turned the corner. A win against United today may have given everyone a big boost and, with a week until the next game given the players could have had a chance to regroup and consolidate. I imagine the morale among the players will be as low as it is for us fans. Today we can be forgiven for showing our disapproval of the players, coaches and even recruiting team. Tomorrow we need to get back behind them it is not as if we have another team to support. We are blues, once a blue always a blue.

Now for the rebuild!

 

[Ezy]

1. Yes
2. Walker, Ederson, Gundogan, Grealish, Silva, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Nunes, De bruyne
3. Good question, Rodri.
4. I'd assume Viana
5. No time to wait unless we wanna finish 10th.
6. Alot it should seem considering that we made most profit on player sales in the whole world, after Benfica.
7. Hold out until january (hopefully)

 

[Ezy]

I don‘t see Doku at •“2.“

Yeah i was debating that, he could without a shadow of a doubt be put in there too.

 

[Blue Bogey]

1. Yes
2. Walker, Ederson, Gundogan, Grealish, Silva, Stones, Akanji, Ake, Nunes, De bruyne
3. Good question, Rodri.
4. I'd assume Viana
5. No time to wait unless we wanna finish 10th.
6. Alot it should seem considering that we made most profit on player sales in the whole world, after Benfica.
7. Hold out until january (hopefully)

I edited my OP and added 3b which players should we be targetting? I know it is a bit open but I think we should only be going after the very best as we were the best team in the World last year.

 

[Ezy]

I edited my OP and added 3b which players should we be targetting? I know it is a bit open but I think we should only be going after the very best as we were the best team in the World last year.

That is a good question tbh i am not really too sure, but dream signing would be Wirtz/Musiala but i think that will be really hard to pull off.. obviously that is 1 player out of another 10 we need.

 

[Blue Bogey]

That is a good question tbh i am not really too sure, but dream signing would be Wirtz/Musiala but i think that will be really hard to pull off.. obviously that is 1 player out of another 10 we need.

We have to try for these types of players and both if possible together.

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

We had a squad planning thread but...

1 - Should Pep be in charge of the rebuild? YES
2 - Which players should be moved on in 2025? WALKER, GREALISH NUNES, AKE, KDB
3 - Which players should be offered new contracts? Rodri, Haaland, Foden, Dias
4 - Who is making the decisions for the rebuild, TRANSFER GROUP AS PER.
5 - How will the 115 PL charges decision and other outside influences reflect on the rebuild. Do we wait until after the decision of the independent commission? CLUB WILL BE BAU UNTIL ALL APPEALS ARE DONE
6 - what sort of figures do we realistically have to spend on a rebuild? 500 over 3 windows
7 - With the bad form we are in, how as fans can we help the club? KEEP GOING ONE GAME AT TIME

 

[Blue Bogey]

We had a squad planning thread but...

1 - Should Pep be in charge of the rebuild? YES
2 - Which players should be moved on in 2025? WALKER, GREALISH NUNES, AKE, KDB
3 - Which players should be offered new contracts? Rodri, Haaland, Foden, Dias
4 - Who is making the decisions for the rebuild, TRANSFER GROUP AS PER.
5 - How will the 115 PL charges decision and other outside influences reflect on the rebuild. Do we wait until after the decision of the independent commission? CLUB WILL BE BAU UNTIL ALL APPEALS ARE DONE
6 - what sort of figures do we realistically have to spend on a rebuild? 500 over 3 windows
7 - With the bad form we are in, how as fans can we help the club? KEEP GOING ONE GAME AT TIME

Apppreciate your first point. I noticed it was started in 2022 and it was a squad planning thread that rolled into each window. I felt we needed a new one for a new era. As it feels like we are in need of creating a new squad era. This is a big one.

 

[Blue Bogey]

5 - How will the 115 PL charges decision and other outside influences reflect on the rebuild. Do we wait until after the decision of the independent commission? CLUB WILL BE BAU UNTIL ALL APPEALS ARE DONE

Point 5 BAU? Is this an abbreviation?

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Point 5 BAU? Is this an abbreviation?

Business as Usual, sorry work talk lol. didnt even notice.

 

[John Wayne]

1 - Should Pep be in charge of the rebuild? YES

2 - Which players should be moved on in 2025? De Bruyne, McAtee, Walker, Ederson, Gundogan. We need a bigger squad, so five out and seven in seems reasonable. The following year will be Stones, Grealish, Bernardo. I think they get another year.

3 - Which players should be offered new contracts? Rodri, Haaland, Dias, Foden

3b - What players should we be targetting? Musiala, Wirtz, a sub keeper with Ortega moving to number 1, Juma Bah, Zubimendi, Guimaraes, Kimmich. I'm not saying we get all of them but they're the top targets and we need to show we're elite. No more cleverdick recruitment that takes us backwards.

4 - Who is making the decisions for the rebuild? Txiki, Viana and Pep. Business as usual with the DoF. This rebuild spans two windows so it involves our two respective DoFs.

5 - How will the 115 PL charges decision and other outside influences reflect on the rebuild. Do we wait until after the decision of the independent commission? We act like 115 never existed.

6 - what sort of figures do we realistically have to spend on a rebuild?
£400m, but probably £500m with sales of players and academy talent.

7 - With the bad form we are in, how as fans can we help the club? We realistically cannot. But I don't mind people voicing their displeasure, as long as it is proportionate. People sacrifice a lot to watch football. Sometimes you have to give your kids a bollocking even though you love them dearly. When matches are being played, continue to turn up and support the team unconditionally.

 

[Delphinho]

Reckon Ederson, Walker, Gundogan, De Bruyne and McAtee goes next summer, possibly one of Stones/Ake. Bernardo probably wants out like he’s done for 2 seasons now, but there’s just too many deals to be done for him to leave next summer. Possibly Bernardo and Grealish gone in 2026

 

[John Wayne]

Reckon Ederson, Walker, Gundogan, De Bruyne and McAtee goes next summer, possibly one of Stones/Ake. Bernardo probably wants out like he’s done for 2 seasons now, but there’s just too many deals to be done for him to leave next summer. Possibly Bernardo and Grealish gone in 2026

That's how I see it exactly. The squad needs to increase by two, so that's seven signings. Living in fantasy land for the moment, our squad heading into next season for me:

Ortega
Second-choice GK (Hard to identify at the minute)
Third-choice GK from the academy

Kimmich/Kerkez
Bah
Stones (sees out his contract)
Dias
Gvardiol
Ake
Akanji
Lewis (not good enough, but he'll stay)

Rodri
Zubimendi
Guimaraes
Foden
Nunes (not good enough, but he'll stay)
Bernardo (sees out his contract)
Wirtz
Musiala
Kovacic
Doku
Savinho
Grealish (leaves in 2026)

Bobb
Haaland
Echeverri

Futures of Wright, O'Reilly, Simpson-Pusey, Doyle and Mubama are undecided.

 

[Delphinho]

That's how I see it exactly. The squad needs to increase by two, so that's seven signings. Living in fantasy land for the moment, our squad heading into next season for me:

Ortega
Second-choice GK (Hard to identify at the minute)
Third-choice GK from the academy

Kimmich/Kerkez
Bah
Stones (sees out his contract)
Dias
Gvardiol
Ake
Akanji
Lewis (not good enough, but he'll stay)

Rodri
Zubimendi
Guimaraes
Foden
Nunes (not good enough, but he'll stay)
Bernardo (sees out his contract)
Wirtz
Musiala
Kovacic
Doku
Savinho
Grealish (leaves in 2026)

Bobb
Haaland
Echeverri

Futures of Wright, O'Reilly, Simpson-Pusey, Doyle and Mubama are undecided.

I sadly think there’s no chance of signing Musiala or Wirtz. Looks like both will renew their contracts. If we sign 5+ players I doubt we’ll sign many 100m+ players anyways. We’ll probably have to go shopping in the shelf below Musiala and Wirtz

 

[John Wayne]

I sadly think there’s no chance of signing Musiala or Wirtz. Looks like both will renew their contracts. If we sign 5+ players I doubt we’ll sign many 100m+ players anyways. We’ll probably have to go shopping in the shelf below Musiala and Wirtz

Alas, you're probably correct. I just loved the days when we meant business - Barry, Tevez, Silva, Yaya, Aguero. Proper statement signings. Not many people are laughing at Chelsea anymore. Yes, they have been scattergun and those eight-year deals are risky. But when they want someone they get it done.

 

[Delphinho]

Alas, you're probably correct. I just loved the days when we meant business - Barry, Tevez, Silva, Yaya, Aguero. Proper statement signings. Not many people are laughing at Chelsea anymore. Yes, they have been scattergun and those eight-year deals are risky. But when they want someone they get it done.

Plenty of good players in the market, just hope we stay well clear of the likes of Eze and Wharton. You’d never see Real Madrid make those kind of signings. Very expensive sideways steps that doesn’t improve the squad

 

[Blue Bogey]

Alas, you're probably correct. I just loved the days when we meant business - Barry, Tevez, Silva, Yaya, Aguero. Proper statement signings. Not many people are laughing at Chelsea anymore. Yes, they have been scattergun and those eight-year deals are risky. But when they want someone they get it done.

I can see Chelsea getting a stronger squad next season. Already they have winger Estêvão due to join them in July 2025 when he will be 18. In Brazil he is tearing it up with goals and assists at 17 years of age for Palmeiras. His figures are extraordinary for a player of his age. He could end up better than Vini Junior and Rodrygo.

So we need to compete with this.

 

[John Wayne]

Plenty of good players in the market, just hope we stay well clear of the likes of Eze and Wharton. You’d never see Real Madrid make those kind of signings. Very expensive sideways steps that doesn’t improve the squad

That should be the mantra - if Real Madrid wouldn't sign him, why should we?

 

[Blue-Ghana]

We had a squad planning thread but...

1 - Should Pep be in charge of the rebuild? YES
2 - Which players should be moved on in 2025? WALKER, GREALISH NUNES, AKE, KDB
3 - Which players should be offered new contracts? Rodri, Haaland, Foden, Dias
4 - Who is making the decisions for the rebuild, TRANSFER GROUP AS PER.
5 - How will the 115 PL charges decision and other outside influences reflect on the rebuild. Do we wait until after the decision of the independent commission? CLUB WILL BE BAU UNTIL ALL APPEALS ARE DONE
6 - what sort of figures do we realistically have to spend on a rebuild? 500 over 3 windows
7 - With the bad form we are in, how as fans can we help the club? KEEP GOING ONE GAME AT TIME

I will keep Ake and KDB , If Doku and savio don't show improvement by the summer, one of them could be sold as well

 

[Bluemoon has risen]

Reckon Ederson, Walker, Gundogan, De Bruyne and McAtee goes next summer, possibly one of Stones/Ake. Bernardo probably wants out like he’s done for 2 seasons now, but there’s just too many deals to be done for him to leave next summer. Possibly Bernardo and Grealish gone in 2026

Yeah I think it'll be a gradual rebuild over the next 2 summers.

Can see the squad looking completely different in 2-3 years time than it looks now, and hopefully Pep can then leave with the squad being in a great place.

Big job, but hopefully the club have it in hand. Tough job for Viana, hopefully Txiki gets some big moves made prior to him joining us. The midfield is the biggest problem with this squad that needs fixing with serious quality. Currently playing Gundagon, KDB and Bernardo as a trio, a combined age of 98. Far too old for what we need and all 3 of them will probably be gone in the next 18 months. Right back an obvious priority aswell, but sort those areas out 1st and the ball gets to the wingers quicker and they've got more space to do their job and feed Haaland. Then we can sort the other issues of the squad out.