Twelve Manchester City players could leave the Etihad Stadium in major summer clear-out
Twelve Manchester City players could leave the Etihad Stadium in major summer clear-out Hugo Viana and Manchester City could be eyeing up a further overhaul of their playing options despite the heavy alterations made across the course of 2025 and into 2026. With contractual situations coming into play through deals expiring at the end of the ongoing season, players simply being out of favour under Pep Guardiola, and others entering into the final 12 months of their existing deals, there is certainly work to do at the club. That feeling comes despite wholesale changes made during January 2025, the summer transfer window that followed, and the recent winter market that also saw Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo come into the club midway through the ongoing season.
Among the other names to walk through the door at the club has been Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico Gonzalez, and Omar Marmoush around one year ago, as well as the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rayan Cherki, and Tijjani Reijnders last summer. But with an early exit from the Champions League and a clear ambition to regain dominance of English football, further strengthening themselves against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and other potential competitors next season, there could be major change on the horizon. Here are the 12 Manchester City players City Xtra believe could be on their way out of the Etihad Stadium during the upcoming summer transfer window!
James Trafford Having re-joined Manchester City only last summer in a reported £31 million deal from Burnley, James Trafford’s ambitions were clearly focussed on becoming the club’s established No. 1 choice between the posts. But having been very quickly replaced in that early role by Gianluigi Donnarumma, the England international has been restricted largely to domestic cup appearances – where he has performed to an exceptionally high standard.
As such, it remains to be seen whether Trafford would be content in his back-up role for another campaign, or whether the allure of consistent top-level football for perhaps a direct rival could prove too tempting. Manuel Akanji Currently on-loan at Inter in Serie A and proving to be a consistently high performer for the Italian giants, it is highly unlikely that either Manuel Akanji himself or Manchester City would want a return into the first-team set-up next summer. The Milan-based club hold a £15 million buy-option on the Switzerland international, and with the player publicly admitting his delight at life in Italy, the expectation is that Manuel Akanji will remain with Inter on a permanent basis come the summer.
“Clubs don’t always offer loyalty” – Manuel Akanji raises eyebrows with Manchester City exit comments Nathan Ake Entering into the final 12 months of his contract in the summer, Manchester City could take up the opportunity to cash in on an exceptional servant for the club over the last six years, with the Dutchman himself also likely to eye more consistent game time. Rico Lewis Manchester City stood firm on their stance of wanting to retain Rico Lewis amid big-money interest from Nottingham Forest last summer, rejecting an approach believed to be in the region of £30 million. However, the academy graduate has been on the fringes of the first-team set-up, shut out by Matheus Nunes in the right-back position and struggling to establish himself as a dependable midfield option under Pep Guardiola this season.
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