Guardiola makes ‘drastic decision’ to axe eight first-team stars after Man City lose to Real Madrid
Man City boss Pep Guardiola has taken the decision to move eight first-team stars on in the summer transfer window, according to reports.
The Citizens are having a season to forget by their high standards with Guardiola’s side currently fourth in the Premier League table and 17 points behind leaders Liverpool with 13 games to play.
Man City had won the last four Premier League titles in a row and, as well as failure in the league, they were also knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in the play-off round on Wednesday night.
Guardiola’s men now have one last hope of silverware this season with Man City facing Liverpool’s conquerers Plymouth Argyle in the fifth round of the FA Cup in March.
Man City have suffered without the influential Rodri, who was injured early on in the season, but the Citizens investment large sums of money in January with Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis and Juma Bah arriving.
But, after their aggregate defeat to Real Madrid over two legs in the Champions League, Spanish publication Fichajes insists that Guardiola has taken ‘drastic action’ by vowing to move eight players on in the summer.
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The report adds:
‘The Spanish coach believes that it is time for a deep reconstruction and has determined that key figures such as Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gündogan, Ederson and Jack Grealish will leave the team in the summer.
‘This move will mark the end of a cycle and give way to a new era at the English club.
‘The painful defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu exposed the team’s shortcomings, which failed to impose its style against a relentless Madrid. Guardiola, aware that several of his players are past their prime, has decided to go for a generational change.
‘Some players are over 30 years old and others, like Grealish, have not justified the huge investment made in them. Walker, for his part, has already been loaned to AC Milan and his return is not in the coach’s plans.’
Guardiola admitted that the “best team won” in their defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League with Man City now needing to “move forward” after the disappointing loss.
The Man City boss told reporters: “The best team won, they deserved it. We made good Champions League campaigns in the past, [reaching the] semi-finals and finals, but this season no.
“I had the feeling in the previous three [years] we were better than them, this time they have been better.
“They can run, can make long possessions, high pressing, dynamic movement, defend well. They deserve it. We need to learn from it. We need to accept it and move forward.”
