The 2025 Rebuild of City Squad

[Stoned Rose]

The last thing the next manager wants is to get his hands tied by Pep's legacy. The next manager should start the rebuild. He will need one or two veterans to keep the dressing room together. Let him pick the players and decide who to keep.

Pep will be forever remembered as greatest coach in the club history.

But the next manager deserves every right to build the squad himself independently, not influenced by his processor.

Otherwise I doubt City can hire any top tier coach. No good coach wants to work on a pile left by his processor - no matter how wonderful it was.

Those pesky processors.

 

[CC1]

I was referring to the board rather than the players and coaching. I put that the achievements largely down to Pep and the players. In my opinion the dip could have been avoided with better recruitment, even Txiki himself has said his work post treble hasn't been good. The lack of back ups for certain players and allowing the midfield to age without finding heirs has been happening for a couple of years now and that is the fault of the board. I am not saying the board have never got anything right, just that in the last couple of years there has been a decline in what they have got right and it's costing us now.

Hindsight eh!! How could they anticipate Rodri being out for a whole season? The plan was for Bobb to replace Julian but he’s been out for 5 months. Who would have thought 4 top defenders would all be out at the same time for weeks?
Sorry but whilst I agreed that we need a refresh - this situation is unparalleled

 

[OntarioBlue]

Hindsight eh!! How could they anticipate Rodri being out for a whole season? The plan was for Bobb to replace Julian but he’s been out for 5 months. Who would have thought 4 top defenders would all be out at the same time for weeks?
Sorry but whilst I agreed that we need a refresh - this situation is unparalleled

Very true, but the Club’s Management could anticipate that KDB would be almost 34 and prone to more injuries. They could have seen that Walker would lose the pace that was his only real stand-out feature. They could have seen that Ake and Stones are made of glass and can’t be relied on. They could and should have identified that some of the recent signings are just not at the standard we need.

 

[CC1]

Very true, but the Club’s Management could anticipate that KDB would be almost 34 and prone to more injuries. They could have seen that Walker would lose the pace that was his only real stand-out feature. They could have seen that Ake and Stones are made of glass and can’t be relied on. They could and should have identified that some of the recent signings are just not at the standard we need.

Hopefully sorted January

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

The last thing the next manager wants is to get his hands tied by Pep's legacy. The next manager should start the rebuild. He will need one or two veterans to keep the dressing room together. Let him pick the players and decide who to keep.

Pep will be forever remembered as greatest coach in the club history.

But the next manager deserves every right to build the squad himself independently, not influenced by his predecessor.

Otherwise I doubt City can hire any top tier coach. No good coach wants to work on a pile left by his predecessor - no matter how wonderful it was.

Every coach in the history of football has been left with a pile left by his predecessor. It's not a problem, especially if the pile is some of the most technically gifted footballers on the planet that are comfortable on the ball with high footballing IQs. We've got Pep for 2 and a half more seasons which is more time than most players ever know they'll get with a manager when they sign for a club.

 

[Bluearmy]

GK
LB
RB
AM
CM Playmaker (Yaya/Silva type player)
CF/S

Cover for Rodri also and at least one winger who can score or assist

 

[yozzerblue]

Does anyone think Pep has already spoken to players not required after this season.
He may think he owes it to them after what they have achieved together. Beside that, they will be aware of their downturn in form And may have asked questions regarding their own futures. This loss of form has nothing to do with the 115 in my opinion.

 

[WesthoughtonJohn]

Does anyone think Pep has already spoken to players not required after this season.
He may think he owes it to them after what they have achieved together. Beside that, they will be aware of their downturn in form And may have asked questions regarding their own futures. This loss of form has nothing to do with the 115 in my opinion.

Be a weird management style that.
Yeah "if you could just give us everything for the rest of the season - but then we're gonna fuck you of for whatever we can get in"

 

[Dax777]

Does anyone think Pep has already spoken to players not required after this season.
He may think he owes it to them after what they have achieved together. Beside that, they will be aware of their downturn in form And may have asked questions regarding their own futures. This loss of form has nothing to do with the 115 in my opinion.

Hope not. That can occur at the end of the season. Right now you need everyone locked in trying to right this ship. Not worrying about the summer.

 

[AP83]

Who do you really think will go? Many saying Stones and Ake as constantly injured, Walker and KDB. But I don’t know why just feel there will be a surprise in there, someone we didn’t expect.

I guess some of this will be answered if any of the players renew their contracts in the next couple of months.

 

[pbueno16]

Who do you really think will go? Many saying Stones and Ake as constantly injured, Walker and KDB. But I don’t know why just feel there will be a surprise in there, someone we didn’t expect.

I guess some of this will be answered if any of the players renew their contracts in the next couple of months.

I'd hate to see Stones and Ake go considering they've been rushed back into the lineup way too early every time they're fit enough to train. Walker, de Bruyne, Bernardo and Gundo have done so much to get the club where it is but they should make way for a proper rebuild.

 

[CΛL]

Who do you really think will go? Many saying Stones and Ake as constantly injured, Walker and KDB. But I don’t know why just feel there will be a surprise in there, someone we didn’t expect.

I guess some of this will be answered if any of the players renew their contracts in the next couple of months.

We’ll definitely keep:

Dias
Akanji
Gvardiol
Rico
Rodri
Bobb
Phil
Savinho
Doku

Probably keep but who knows:

Stones contract till 2026, nobody will buy him with his injury problems
Ake - contract till ‘27, similarly can’t see anyone buying him
Kovacic - been great when called upon this season imo
Haaland - will stay at least until 2027 imo
Nunes - good enough utility player for left wing and midfield

Could go:

Ederson - Saudi
Ortega - if he isn’t first choice by the end of the season
Grealish - unless he proves himself through the middle

Very likely to go:

KDB
Bernardo
Walker
Gundogan

 

[Inter Me Nan]

Who do you really think will go? Many saying Stones and Ake as constantly injured, Walker and KDB. But I don’t know why just feel there will be a surprise in there, someone we didn’t expect.

I guess some of this will be answered if any of the players renew their contracts in the next couple of months.

Ederson.

 

[Dax777]

Who do you really think will go? Many saying Stones and Ake as constantly injured, Walker and KDB. But I don’t know why just feel there will be a surprise in there, someone we didn’t expect.

I guess some of this will be answered if any of the players renew their contracts in the next couple of months.

Like Erling? That's the only player who'd be a surprise.

 

[Blue Bogey]

3b - I know Pep likes technical players but we NEED some pace and power i addition to technique. Need some players between 22-28, we need players ready for today

Winter we NEED a RB (Vanderson/Kayode) and a CM (Zubimendi/Ederson)

Monaco are rumoured to be open to the idea of selling Vanderson in January, price would be around €30m. He will have been at Monaco coming up 3 years and Monaco could sell to make good profit. Not seen city links for him though other than bluemoon forum members recommending him. Linked last summer with the rags and Spurs.

 

[himalayan_blues]

As guilleme blauge said we will clear 5/6 first team players. My take is KDB, Gundogen, Walker, Ederson, Stones, kovacic. May be grealish want to have a new challenge but I doubt pep will let him go because he might help us from the middle. Bernardo might go but if most of them go then someone has to remain. Nunes though not good enough for us would not want to quit the club. Why would he ?
Some might retire as well and continue as assistant coach in the club.

 

[Keeper!]

As guilleme blauge said we will clear 5/6 first team players. My take is KDB, Gundogen, Walker, Ederson, Stones, kovacic. May be grealish want to have a new challenge but I doubt pep will let him go because he might help us from the middle. Bernardo might go but if most of them go then someone has to remain. Nunes though not good enough for us would not want to quit the club. Why would he ?
Some might retire as well and continue as assistant coach in the club.

Maybe easier to say who to keep.

Dias, Gravidol, Rico, one of Ake or Stones, Ortega.

Rodri, Kovacic

Doku, Silvinho, Haaland, Foden and Bobb.

That's the only players I would be keeping.

I would love Ederson to be our no1 but it's now clear he wants out sadly.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

1 - Should Pep be in charge of the rebuild?

Absolutely.

2 - Which players should be moved on in 2025?

Walker, KDB, Stones, Nunes, McAtee, Grealish, Bernardo, Gundogan

3 - Which players should be offered new contracts?

Rodri, Haaland, Wright

3b - What players should we be targetting?

Depends on who moves on.

4 - Who is making the decisions for the rebuild, i.e. Txiki or Hugo Viana

Both this summer, but Viana should have final say.

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?

Don’t wait for anything! Do whatever business you can do whenever you can do it. Just don’t do bad business!

6 - what sort of figures do we realistically have to spend on a rebuild?

€250-300M

7 - With the bad form we are in, how as fans can we help the club?

Support the players the best we can while they’re on the field and be as constructive in any criticism, as possible.

As a non-matchgoer, it is hard to say this, but the fan support at games, with the possible exception of an away game or two, has been dire.

 

[Matt.D]

Absolutely.

Walker, KDB, Stones, Nunes, McAtee, Grealish, Bernardo, Gundogan

Rodri, Haaland, Wright

Depends on who moves on.

Both this summer, but Viana should have final say.

Don’t wait for anything! Do whatever business you can do whenever you can do it. Just don’t do bad business!

€250-300M

Support the players the best we can while they’re on the field and be as constructive in any criticism, as possible.

As a non-matchgoer, it is hard to say this, but the fan support at games, with the possible exception of an away game or two, has been dire.

I go to home games and have heard boos recently. The away fans are always class. We can and do all criticise and you can argue if you pay your money you have a right to boo but I’m sorry for me if you boo these players and this manager after what they’ve achieved for us then you may as well get out now as we will never see another era like the one this team has given us.

 

[blueparrot]

Like Erling? That's the only player who'd be a surprise.

Hardly,, Gvardiol, Rodri, Foden, Dias, Bobb, Akanji would all be huge surprises and none of which will leave.