The six Man City stars who could quit alongside Guardiola in 2025 as ‘exit’ rumours gather pace

Pep Guardiola has been rumoured to leave Manchester City upon his contract expiring in 2025 and we have assessed the six players who could potentially follow him out the door.

According to reports from Spain, Man City have supposedly been ‘preparing a future without Pep’ for some time now as the serial winner is considering leaving the club when his contract expires.

Replacing Guardiola is certainly no straightforward task and given his importance to the club, there’s a real chance that several players could follow him out of the door.

Former Everton chief Keith Wyness thinks that Guardiola’s exit from the club could coincide with the outcome of the 115 charges that the club are currently contending.

“I think his exit may coincide with the results of these cases,” Wyness told Football Insider.

“I think he may be ready for a fresh challenge. There’s no doubt that he’s at the top of his game and he’s a superb manager, but everything has its time.”

We’ve taken a closer look at the Man City squad and have picked out six players who could leave alongside Guardiola in 2025.

Kevin De Bruyne

With his contract also set to expire in 2025, Man City could be dealt with the hammer blow of losing both Guardiola and De Bruyne in the same summer.

While the Belgian playmaker isn’t getting any younger, he still ranks among the best players in the world. Indeed, in 2024 De Bruyne has produced 15 assists which is more than any other player across world football.

The speculation surrounding the 32-year-old has been rife for some time now and there are even some suggestions that he could leave at the end of this season.

According to Rudy Galetti, Al Nassr are among the Saudi clubs that are interested in the Man City star. Given his age and contract situation, there is a real chance that De Bruyne departs in the near future.

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Stefan Ortega

Also out of contract in 2025, the exit talk around Ortega has started to ramp up in recent weeks. While Guardiola clearly rates the German goalkeeper, he is firmly behind Ederson in the pecking order.

“I would love him to stay, the club would love him to,” Guardiola previously said of Ortega. “We let him feel [this], but we would love it.

“It’s [down to] him, everyone has their own lives, wives, kids, desires. I think he’s really happy here, but I could understand perfectly [if he wanted to leave]. He’s more than 30 years old and he wants to play every weekend so honestly I don’t know.”

The goalkeeper does have admirers from across Europe, with Lazio said to be among the clubs interested. Whether or not he sees his contract out in England, it remains to be seen.

Jack Grealish

Guardiola’s most expensive signing is still under contract until 2027, but having struggled to reach top gear this season, he has been linked with the exit door of late.

According to journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea are among the clubs interested in Grealish, while the likes of Aston Villa and Atletico Madrid also said to be interested.

“Another winger I am told has been internally discussed at Chelsea recently, is Manchester City’s Jack Grealish,” Phillips revealed last month.

You’d imagine Guardiola would want to keep the 28-year-old around for next season, but if the Spanish boss does depart in 2025, there’s every chance that Grealish could follow him out the door.

Kyle Walker

The England international was heavily linked with Bayern Munich over the summer, but he eventually decided to stay put and pen a new deal with the club which is valid until 2026.

Come the end of next season, Walker will be 35 years old and will only have one year remaining on his deal. With that in mind, it seems like a real possibility that he could depart in the same summer as Guardiola.

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Bernardo Silva

There’s a real chance that Silva could leave the club this summer, but Guardiola will surely try his best to convince the Portuguese midfielder to stay for one more year.

Silva has made more appearances under Guardiola than any other player that he’s managed in his entire career. Given the close relationship that pair have, it stands to reason that they could both depart in the same summer.

It’s no secret that the 29-year-old does have a £50m release clause within his contract which will become active this summer.

The likes of Barcelona and PSG have been sniffing around the Man City star in recent months, but Guardiola will be hoping that he sticks around for at least one more season.

Erling Haaland

The Norwegian forward is under contract until 2027, although given his prolific nature, clubs from around Europe are constantly monitoring his situation.

It is worth noting that Haaland does have a £172.1m release clause within his contract which will become active this summer.

Barcelona have been tipped to chase Haaland in 2025 as they search for a long-term Robert Lewandowski replacement, although given their financial situation, this move seems unlikely at this time.

Real Madrid have also reportedly been keeping tabs on the striker according to reports in Spain, but Haaland seems content in England for the time being.

“I am really happy, especially with the people I am surrounded with. The manager, the directors, the board, they are a group of amazing people and I’m really happy, I have to say,” Haaland told reporters.

Guardiola no doubt played a key role in luring Haaland to the Etihad, so it stands to reason that the striker could assess his options once Guardiola departs.

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