Ivory Coast international Wilfried Bony is one of the four players being linked with a Manchester City exit
Pep Guardiola’s arrival as Manchester City boss was always going to bring big changes to the club. The squad was destined to be reshaped by the Catalan, as he brought in his own type of players.
The Citizens have signed the likes of John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito and Leroy Sane this summer.
However, with such a big squad already there were always going to be players leaving. Reportedly four players are set to leave the club as Guardiola culls his squad.
The four players in question are believed to be centre-back Eliaquim Mangala, attacking midfielder Samir Nasri, winger Jesus Navas and striker Wilfried Bony. Some are more likely to attract buyers than others. Here is our lowdown on the quartet:
Eliaquim Mangala
The 25-year-old arrived at City from Portuguese side Porto for a fee reported to be close to £32million in the summer of 2014. At the time the French international centre-back was considered one of the best up-and-coming young centre-backs in the world.
He seemed to have every attribute to become a world-class defender, he was big, strong and quick, all attributes that seemed ideally suited to the Premier League.
However, he has struggled to convince in the English top-flight and has not lived up to expectations at the Etihad Stadium. The signing of John Stones from Everton for £47.5million seems like it could be an indication that the Frenchman is heading for the exit door.
Mangala has also been omitted from City’s Champions League squad for the play-off against Steaua Bucharest. The centre-back is likely to be available for a knockdown fee and still has time to fulfil his potential elsewhere.
Jesus Navas
The Spanish winger is one of those also-rans players that will never quite fit into the top player category. He never convinced City fans he was a good enough player to be part of a highly ambitious team and club.
The former Sevilla star is blessed with great pace but has headless chicken syndrome when it comes to producing anything of value. If you ever find yourself down a blind alley, watch out for Navas running towards you, as he seems to run down a lot of them.
Navas was a Manuel Pellegrini favourite and most people are still wondering why. No wonder the Chilean got the sack. It would be no surprise to see Navas return to his homeland before the transfer window shuts.
Samir Nasri
Nasri is another Frenchman who has not quite lived up to his potential. When he moved to City from Arsenal he is was regarded as an exciting playmaker. He has at times shown his ability for the Citizens, but not on a consistent enough basis.
Injuries have also hampered the attacking midfielders time in Manchester, as he struggled for much game time on the pitch last season. The signings of youngster Leroy Sane and winger Nolito will make it even harder for Nasri to get a kick in the coming season.
Wilfried Bony
The £30million signing from Swansea in January 2015 has struggled to make an impact at City mainly because of the presence of the brilliant Sergio Aguero. The 27-year-old is probably the one who will be the most saleable this summer.
He was relatively prolific for Swansea prior to moving to City. He will score goals in the Premier League if given first team football. A number of clubs are believed to be interested in the striker.
Former club Swansea, Arsenal and Everton have all been linked with a move for the striker. Bony is now odds of 4/7 to be an Everton player by the time the transfer window shuts, which makes the Toffees hot favourites to sign the Ivorian star.
Manchester City title favourites
Manchester City are favourites to win the Premier League title this season. The appointment of Guardiola ensured that status, but the exits of the likes of Navas, Mangala, Nasri and Bony is unlikely to hinder City’s chances of success.
All four will probably land relatively big moves this summer and go on to have big impacts elsewhere. However, it seems their days are numbered at City, as Pep Guardiola seeks to turn his team into a dominant force at home and abroad.
Would any of the aforementioned quartet be good signings for a Premier League side?
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