After dominating the Premier League for the past two seasons, Manchester City eventually ran out of steam this term.
For all his glory, Pep Guardiola couldn’t do a three-peat in England as his team were deservedly outperformed by Liverpool in the 2019-20 campaign.
Now, it would be harsh to blame or point fingers at anyone particular, but the whole team collectively were simply not at their best. With that said, and the title race being over, Manchester City should start analysing what went wrong this season.
The Citizens will certainly need to dip their toes into the transfer market, make a couple of tweaks here and there, and to do that, they will also need to get rid of some their own players.
Here are three players who could leave Manchester City in the upcoming transfer window.
#3 Claudio Bravo
The Chilean arrived in Manchester in 2016 after two seasons with Barcelona, and he had to endure a difficult first season in England. By 2017, Manchester City had already signed Ederson, and since then Claudio Bravo has been the second-choice at the Etihad.
The custodian recently turned 37, and with his contract set to expire at the end of this season, Bravo has been linked with an exit. He has made just 16 appearances in all competitions so far this season, with just four of them coming in the Premier League.
As per recent reports, the goalkeeper seems interested in moving to Manchester City’s sister club and MLS outfit, New York City FC.
Such a move would suit all parties, and Pep Guardiola himself would be wise to let Bravo move on, and promote Zack Steffen, who has done reasonably well during his loan spell at Dusseldorf.
#2 Joao Cancelo
Despite having joined Manchester City only last summer, Joao Cancelo has already been linked with a move away from the Premier League champions. The Portuguese full-back was very impressive while at Juventus and was subsequently signed by Manchester City as part of their deal to sell Danilo.
At that time, many felt that the Citizens got the better deal, given Danilo has never been a regular starter, as opposed to Cancelo.
But things haven’t gone to plan at all for the Benfica academy product. He has played just 24 matches all season and given his age and profile, we expect Cancelo wouldn’t be happy with warming the bench.
Recent reports have linked the 25-year-old to both Barcelona and Inter Milan but it remains to be seen which side come out on top.
Given his struggles in England, Cancelo himself is known to be pushing for a move, rather than staying and fighting for a place alongside Kyle Walker.
#1 Kevin de Bruyne
Not many would have expected Kevin de Bruyne to come out and send a warning to the Manchester City hierarchy that he could possibly leave the club if their two-year Champions League ban is upheld.
It came as a shock, out of nowhere, but given the Belgian’s talent and potential, he would certainly be better suited to Real Madrid, Barcelona or even Bayern Munich, where winning the Champions League could be a real possibility.
Whether they can afford De Bruyne in the current market remains to be seen, but the 28-year-old would certainly be a tempting prospect for any European powerhouse.
This season alone, the playmaker has racked up 36 appearances across all competitions, scoring nine goals and providing a record 20 assists!
In the current era, there are few players who can stand at the level of Kevin de Bruyne, or above him. And it’s safe to say that several European giants will be keeping an eye on the developments at the Etihad.
All stats courtesy: Transfermarkt.co.in