Manchester City
Premier League • England
Man City exodus gathers pace with two icons facing 2025 exit and winger’s future now uncertain
Two Manchester City veterans with 12 Premier League titles between them could both be shunted out in 2025, while doubts are also creeping in over the long-term future of Jack Grealish, according to a report.
Man City have been the dominant force in England throughout Pep Guardiola’s reign at the club. However, stagnation in the transfer market has led to key members of Man City’s squad all ageing at the same time.
Ederson, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne are all in their thirties. Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and Jack Grealish are all aged 29.
According to a fresh update from The Athletic, Man City planned to rejuvenate their squad in 2025. However, their dramatic loss of form this season has sparked fears they’ve left their big push in the market a year too late.
When running the rule over City’s transfer plans in 2025, The Athletic revealed club stalwarts Walker and De Bruyne could both be in the final year of their trophy-laden spells at The Etihad.
Walker, 34, looks to have lost a yard of pace and was memorably torched by Timo Werner for Tottenham’s fourth goal last weekend.
Per the report, Walker ‘could be moved on, having been close to an exit in 2023 (Bayern Munich), linked with one this summer, and struggling on the pitch.’
Walker’s is contracted until the end of next season, though the situation is even more immediate with De Bruyne.
The Belgian maestro is a bona fide Premier League legend, though persistent injury issues have severely limited his impact of late.
De Bruyne is in the final year of his deal and per David Ornstein, three options are in play.
The first is De Bruyne signs a one-year extension. The second is the 33-year-old moves to Saudi Arabia. The third is De Bruyne leaves for MLS.
City fans will no doubt hope De Bruyne stays, though per the report, ‘he will most likely have to get through the season without any further injury setbacks to get an extension.’ Keeping injury-free is not something De Bruyne has been able to do in recent times.
Providing an exclusive update on De Bruyne’s situation, journalist Rudy Galetti told TEAMtalk earlier on Friday that Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr are both on the midfielder’s trail.
However, PIF are concerned that Major League Soccer clubs are starting to move for De Bruyne. PIF therefore want to speed up talks with the Belgium captain so he does not follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi.
Messi had been close to heading to Saudi Arabia in July 2023, only to join Inter Miami instead.
READ MORE: The key contract details of every Man City first-team player: Expiry dates, weekly wages, agents…
Jack Grealish future uncertain
Other ageing Man City stars whose futures in Manchester are from from certain are Ederson, Stones, Gundogan, Silva and Grealish.
Of that quintet, Grealish is the biggest surprise given he’s not yet over 30 and is contracted until 2027. The report stated there are ‘some doubts’ within Man City about whether Grealish should be moved on or not.
Grealish cost £100m when bought from Aston Villa back in 2021. The tricky winger has chipped in with vital contributions at times, but a return of just 14 goals and 20 assists in 137 matches is well below the expectations of a £100m player.
Stones’ issues relate primarily to difficulties in staying fit. Gundogan, meanwhile, looks a shadow of the player he previously was during his first stint at The Etihad.
Gundogan signed a one-year deal with a club option for a second season upon returning from Barcelona. The Athletic concluded is it now ‘in the balance’ as to whether City bother to trigger the option in lieu of the German’s sub-par displays.
Latest Man City news – Neville, Wharton, McAtee
In other news, Gary Neville has predicted Liverpool will “run all over” Man City in the crunch Premier League clash on Sunday.
Elsewhere, Caught Offside state Arsenal have opened talks over signing Man City target, Adam Wharton, in January.
TEAMtalk was recently informed City intend to launch an approach for the Crystal Palace midfielder who’d cover Rodri’s injury absence. They now face stiff competition from the Gunners.
Finally, City are said to be on a collision course with James McAtee, with the midfielder desperate to get more minutes under his belt and reported to be pushing for a move away in the January window.