Man City ‘to sell six starting players’ in brutal overhaul of squad as Pep Guardiola gets ruthless

Pep Guardiola is in the midst of facing a rebuild of his Manchester City side and it is claimed that up to six regular starters could make way for new signings in the transfer market as part of a ‘new era’.

Manchester City are enduring their worst period under Pep Guardiola’s management since the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss took charge at the Etihad Stadium in 2016. The team has suffered nine defeats in their last 12 matches across all competitions, marking a dramatic decline after a promising start to the season.

The latest blow came with a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday. Following that result and the weekend’s other fixtures, City dropped to seventh in the Premier League table. They now trail leaders Liverpool by 12 points, and with Arne Slot’s side holding a game in hand, City’s hopes of defending their Premier League title after winning it four years in a row appear increasingly slim.

During his time at City, Guardiola has achieved remarkable success, winning six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups, four League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup. He has also built two exceptional teams during his tenure. Despite the current struggles, Guardiola recently committed his future to City by signing a contract extension that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2027, dispelling any speculation about his departure at the end of the season.

However, with the team’s current form faltering, Guardiola is likely to use this extended period to build a third iteration of his City team. Key players such as Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne, aged 34 and 33 respectively, have contracts expiring at the end of this season, while captain Kyle Walker, now 34, will have just one year remaining on his deal next summer. The aging squad presents a challenge that Guardiola must address to rejuvenate the team.

Respected Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague has suggested that Guardiola’s overhaul could involve replacing up to five or six regular starters as part of a new era for the club. While specific names were not mentioned, Balague emphasized the scale of the potential changes.

“They want to recover the essence of the team, the look of the team,” Balague told the *Daily Record*. “But quite clearly Pep Guardiola is going to use the last two years of his contract—which are probably the last two of his career as a club manager—to prepare a new Manchester City.”

Balague further explained that this transition represents the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. “I have got a very clear idea that they will want to get rid of five or six regular starters for Manchester City and bring five or six new starters. Half of the team. It is a new era. The cycle is over,” he said.

Balague also noted that City’s recent struggles contrast sharply with their form less than two months ago when they were unbeaten and leading the league. “But that, in my eyes, is what is happening. That is what they are going to do next,” he concluded.

As Guardiola faces the challenge of revitalizing his squad, City supporters will be watching closely to see how this transition unfolds and whether the manager can lead the club into another successful era.