Manchester City transfer news: Was Pep Guardiola’s warning ignored?

Last season — the most challenging of Pep Guardiola’s tenure at Manchester City — the manager issued a warning to the board in May. The Catalan insisted that if the Citizens’ squad was not reduced, he would walk away from the club, as he detests the idea of leaving players out of the matchday squad altogether.

After suffering a spate of injuries in 2024-25, City brought in five players during the January transfer window. Later, when injured players returned, the club were forced to omit as many as six players from some matchday squads due to the oversized roster.

The summer departures of Kevin De Bruyne and Scott Carson have provided some relief, alongside Yan Couto, Maximo Perrone, Kyle Walker and Juma Bah, who had already left earlier in the year either on loan or permanently. But with six new signings arriving this summer, further exits are still needed.

"I told the club that I do not want this [a big squad]. I do not want to leave five or six players in the fridge. I do not want that. [If it continues like this] I am going to resign. If they do not form a short squad, I will not stay. It is impossible for me to leave my players in the stands knowing they cannot play," Guardiola said less than three months ago.

At present, City’s first-team squad numbers 33 players, according to Transfermarkt — far from Guardiola’s preferred maximum of 23. The Premier League opener against Wolves is just days away on 16 August, while the transfer window runs until 1 September.

There are indications that at least five players could still depart, bringing the squad closer to what the manager wants.

Manchester City signings in 2025 :

January transfer window: Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Echeverri (loan return)
Summer transfer window: Reijnders, Ait-Nouri, Cherki, Trafford, Nypan, Bettinelli

Manchester City aiming for departures, but facing difficulties

Some positions are particularly congested. In goal, City have four options — Ederson, Ortega, and the new arrivals Trafford and Bettinelli — when the norm is a maximum of three. Ederson is expected to see out his contract until next year before leaving, while Ortega, aiming for more game time to boost his chances of a 2026 World Cup call-up, is reportedly on the transfer list, according to The Athletic.

Defence is also heavily stocked: even allowing for players who can operate at full-back, there are seven centre-halves. One of them, Brazilian Vitor Reis — formerly of Palmeiras — will join Girona on loan to gain European experience. The highly rated 18-year-old has shown promise but still has areas to develop in his limited appearances.

Midfielder Sverre Nypan, signed from Rosenborg, is also likely to go out on loan “as part of a development plan”, according to The Athletic. The future of Argentine prospect Claudio Echeverri — admired by Guardiola and linked with Girona and Roma — remains undecided.

Kalvin Phillips, a big-money signing three years ago, is still on the books after a loan at Ipswich Town, but City are struggling to find a buyer willing to cover his wages. Jack Grealish, the most expensive signing in the club’s history, also faces an uncertain future, with no easy market for his services.

James McAtee, 22, remains on the fringes despite his talent. Nottingham Forest are the most interested party and are reportedly preparing a £25m bid, but City want more. Eintracht Frankfurt have pulled out due to the asking price.

Talk last season of a potential clear-out of experienced players such as John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic appears to have cooled, with those players set to stay.

"[Selling players or not] is a matter for the club. I do not want to have 24, 25, 26 players when everyone is fit. If I have injuries, unfortunately we bring in players from the academy and we do that," Guardiola said on the day of his ultimatum.

"Next season cannot be like this. As a manager, I cannot train 24 players and every time I pick a squad have four, five, six players at home in Manchester because they cannot play. That will not happen. I told the club I do not want that."

Could Manchester City face registration issues in the Premier League?

By 1 September, City must submit their 25-man Premier League squad, plus an unlimited under-21 list. Even without all the expected departures, the club should not breach any rules.

Thanks to the under-21 rule, Savinho, Khusanov and Echeverri count as home-grown even though they were not developed at the academy. That leaves 17 players — the maximum permitted — who are not home-grown.

Trafford, Bobb, Foden, Bettinelli, Stones, Ake, O’Reilly and Rico Lewis all meet the “Home-Grown Player” requirement, having spent at least three seasons before turning 21 in the English or Welsh football system.

However, in the Champions League — which does not have a separate under-21 list — City could face challenges accommodating all of their young players.

The situation is likely to evolve before the window closes, but the outcome may not fully match Guardiola’s vision.

This article was originally published on Trivela.