This mirrors my thoughts and for whatever reason quite a few are in denial about the task in hand. That team that's done so brilliant over the past few seasons is by and large finished. Time for a new superb team.
Andrea Cambiaso
- Thread starter samuelyeboah
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"it has been reported that Cambiaso has expressed no desire whatsoever to leave Juventus."
Bullshit, he clearly wants the move or we would have moved on, this is very much game on.
Man City in new Andrea Cambiaso talks - star 'very keen to move' - Football Insider
Man City have held renewed talks with Juventus in their efforts to sign Andrea Cambiaso, sources have told Football Insider. Speaking on the latest edition...
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Summer is for the big deals and I would say there will be at least 3 huge moves.
blueparrot
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Not sure where you are thinking we put 3 huge moves.
One of Musiala /Wirtz
A top Keeper and I would say a top CB and maybe another CM.
Grealish will be off and it would not shock me if Docku went and was replaced with better.
Gone: Ederson, Walker (for good), Gundo, Grealish , Ake or Stones, Doku , KDB and Kovacic .
blueparrot
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The first 2 yes, thats the AM and keeper I was thinking. Centre backs I think we have plaenty doubt we'll see another one. Not sure about Grealish but Doku is fine a an option alongside Savinho, Marmoush, Bobb, Foden.
Not sure Pep is happy with Doku, CB I still think we need to bring in a top class one, Reis is a long term project and with Stones, Ake and Dias injuries we can't afford for the same issues as this season.
The squad will be increased in size, also 115 will be history and time to get back to making statement signings.
r.soleofsalford
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We are not after buying a bloke called Andrea,
Shirley
Shirley
blueparrot
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Not done a count up with all the new players but it can only be 2 bigger than last season.Not registering players for the C/L squad is okay this year ,next we will need to register the same squads. Will depend who goes.
Dribble
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Links?
There will be plenty leaving and maybe the odd shock.
simon23
Well-Known Member
Agreed on most of this.
however we need to let a few go....off the pay roll to allow others to come in.
You dont get the quality players you need when some of those mentioned will be on £300K a week + unless they are off the payroll...Grealish will be on big money- he is done here and hasnt cut it...we need to cut our losses. Gundo is a legend and should be given a coaches role or let him go abroad somewhere. Kova as well
The biggest is KDB for me - probably one of the best if not THE best midfielder the prem has ever seen BUT injuries are a huge concern....he will be the top earner in the squad (Maybe along with Haaland) - keeping him on the books and him only playing half a season before he is injured again or just to come of the bench in games stops us bringing in his replacement due to financial constraints.
I get the emotional feeling behind letting KDB go - just like with Kun (we woudlnt have got Haaland) or Ferna but we have to let them go if we are to stay competative in the market and on the pitch.
The likes fo Wirtz, Musiala will be demanding similar wages to KDB - we cant afford to have both in the squad....and when you are replacing the likes of Gundo and KDB you HAVE to pay the premium in initial costs and wages - if not then the rebuild will take a few years as you are going for players with potential and not proven quality - depends which route the club wants to go in the end.
You can get away with project signings on the wings (Sav) and even in the attacking midfield (Echevari) as we are stacked with viable and established quality options (Foden, Marmoush and even still Bernardo (if he wants to stay). Same with defence as we still have options that will allow he likes of Khusonov and Veis to develop and they are not pivotal (esp in Peps system) but the central midfield...and CDM also position is pivotal ......drop a project signing in there and you will drop in quality
Dribble
Well-Known Member
It's the cold hard reality of the situation. I think most recognised this season's squad crisis could easily have been avoided if we'd started our succession planning after winning the treble.
By the end of that season, we were running on fumes. The warning signs of mental, emotional & physical fatigue & exhaustion were clearly there for all to see.
When I think about it, we've had a strange 18 months with Berrada leaving, Txiki leaving in the summer, & the annual "Will he? Won't he?" contract extension drama with Guardiola. Added to our ageing squad, our current unstable situation was a crisis waiting to happen.
Hopefully with Viana replacing Txiki, Pep extending & a public acknowledgement that City should have started our rebuild at the latest last summer, I think we're on the slow road to recovery, but it will take time. It'll take another couple of major Windows, with many senior & junior squad members leaving in the process.
simon23
Well-Known Member
The only one I disagree with is Doku -i think he has shown he is good enough - he gives us something different and has real quality - he can finish he can beat his man and he can assist...he is young and still developing but I think he is a top quality squad player that doesnt always need to start but you always get 100% from and has a great attitude and bags of ability
Walker -gone - it was a good decision for all parties
Gundo - not sure he should have come back but hindsight is a wonderful thing - but he now needs to go or risk tarnishing his legacy.
Kova - a good solid signing - maybe another year but if we can get replacements then agree he can go
Ederson - seems to be an attitude thing with him....he can still perform at the highest level I have no doubt BUT mentally he looks like he is elsewhere...it will be because he wants to leave but if he had a change of attitude Id happily see him stay - otherwise yes he needs to go
KDB - if he signs an extension its sentiment driving this - he will be top earner - keeping him stops us progressing at this point and we wont be able to bring in his replacement....I personally think KDB should be let go at the end of the season - he leaves a legend and probably the best midfielder to ever grace the prem league and goes to earn generational wealth in Saudi.....win win for all concerned.
Ake and Stones- both fantastic performers - but both have always been injury prone.....such a shame with Stones especially as you can see he fits that number 6 role really well - its an unknown on these two as its all down to fitness
Dribble
Well-Known Member
Agreed. The issue will be the huge contracts most of the squad are on. If those surplus to requirements merely want to sit tight & collect their wedge every month, there's little we can do about it.
There's also the issue of evolution over revolution. Normally City do the former, but because we've procrastinated over our succession planning, I fear evolution could well be out the window.
The other issue then becomes how do we settle down a squad if we do indeed opt for a revolution? Pep will need a season or two to get his ethos across. My hope is if we sign elite players, their football intelligence will drastically cut down their learning period.
The most gutting thing is this is all so unnecessary. We're now suffering what many fans feared would happen unless we better looked after our rinsed out squad. The positive is, I strongly believe City have learned a painful lesson.
It also makes me wonder if we took our eye off the ball because of Berrada, Txiki & possibly Pep all leaving within 12 months of each other?
simon23
Well-Known Member
I think you are right about the footballing intelligence bit....Rodri initially looked a little off it BUT you could see his intelligence - i remember saying he reminded me a bit of Gareth Barry at first....always in the right place...obviously he has way more to his game than Barry but even in the first few games you could see it when he was strugglng a little....and the rest is history!
I think this is why we have gone for someone like Marmoush as well as you can see right from the first kick...he can fit into the system with ease and will only improve.
Reis is also described this way....
Stones- when we initally bought him his physical attributes were obvious but I remember Pep talking about his footballing brain....
This is why someone like Wirtz stands out for me over your Pogba type of player for instance....both with huge physical attirbutes BUT one has footballing intelligence - the other relies on pure physicality Ferna is another example of this and how he adapted even at his age when Pep came in.....KDB has a brilliant footballing brain as did David Silva - all had to adapt under Pep and did so very quickly.
The ones how couldnt adapt (or wouldnt) have been moved on/et go - Sane - as good as he was Pep clearly struggled with part of Sane's game and his understanding of his defensive responsibilities......
Gonzales havign come through Barca academy will understand the way Pep wants him to play for instance
I think we need a mix of both evolution and revolution
Revolution in the midfield -- buying world class players who have the footballing brain required and can slot in
Evolution of the other parts of the squad
Dribble
Well-Known Member
The next couple of major windows will be very interesting. Not just because of who we may target to play where, but who we'll cut loose.
I love Stones, KDB & Aké, but they're of little use to us constantly residing in the physio room. Perhaps better game management is the key, & also having the quality strength in depth to rotate & adequately rest them all.
To be fair to them all though, I believe their injuries are mostly due to the amount of elite football they've been asked to play every season. Including internationals, Rodri clocked up over SIXTY games, with little or no rest during the summer recess.
Our players are human beings, not automatons, & should be treated as such.
mcfcinprague
Well-Known Member
Peter Reid said he wasn't having a player with a girls name when we got Michel Vonk
johnny crossan
Well-Known Member
That's not quite correct, 25 players can be in the squad UEFA A list, currently 26 are listed overall with 5 on the B list.
Man City | Squad | UEFA Champions League 2025/26
Visit UEFA.com to view the Man City squad for UEFA Champions League 2025/2026, plus the latest injury updates, goals, stats and more!
www.uefa.com
- STEFAN ORTEGA MORENO 18
- EDERSON MORAES 31
- RÚBEN DIAS 3
- JOŠKO GVARDIOL 24
- MANUEL AKANJI25
- RODRIGO HERNANDEZ 16
- MATEO KOVAČIĆ 8
- KEVIN DE BRUYNE 17
- İLKAY GÜNDOĞAN 19
- BERNARDO SILVA 20
- MATHEUS NUNES 27
- JÉRÉMY DOKU 11
- SAVINHO 26
- OMAR MARMOUSH 7
- ERLING HAALAND 9
- VACANCY - GONZALEZ or REIS?
- VACANCY -CAMBIASO or KHUSANOV?