Goalkeeper? Left-back? De Bruyne replacement? - What Man City need in summer transfer window

Nearly two weeks since the transfer window opened and there’s little noise coming from Manchester City.

That is not a surprise given the ongoing European Championships in Germany and the general slow start across the Premier League in the last fortnight. There’s also little urgency at this stage of the summer, with two months remaining of the market.

Much of City’s transfer strategy will depend on outgoings. Pep Guardiola prefers working with a smaller squad and, even with the added strain of the expanded Club World Cup next summer, the first-team group is unlikely to be significantly bolstered in terms of numbers.

City will actively look to move on Joao Cancelo and Kalvin Phillips once again this year, while Sergio Gomez is another fringe member who could be allowed to depart. The club won’t stand in the way of any potential departures, so long as they receive a bid matching their valuation.

Kevin De Bruyne could test City’s resolve with the player openly courting offers from Saudi Arabia. The Belgian may move this window, but the summer of 2025 - when his contract expires - looks more realistic. Jack Grealish, another linked with an exit, will probably remain at the Etihad, and the former Aston Villa star has already been showing his determination to hit the ground running in 2024/25 with several social media posts documenting his off-season fitness regime.

Ederson and Bernardo Silva are the most likely departures from the core members of Guardiola’s squad. The latter has been open to a City exit for the past few summers, while Ederson has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia and posted a cryptic social media message at the end of the season.

Should the Brazilian depart, City would almost certainly be forced into the market. The only question would be whether the Premier League champions would target a new no.1 or a back-up option. Stefan Ortega’s contract extension earlier this month suggests he could potentially be Guardiola’s new stopper, especially after an impressive season in which he made 20 appearances.

Whether he possesses the requisite ability with feet to start on a regular basis in the City team is another question though, and Mike Maignan and Christos Mandas are among the reported transfer targets.

Elsewhere, the Blues had identified both Bruno Guimarares and Lucas Paqueta as potential summer arrivals prior to the window. The latter is now off the table following the betting charges brought against the West Ham United midfielder, while Newcastle United’s valuation of Bruno Guimarares is currently above what City are willing to pay for the midfielder.

City also retain a long-standing interest in Eberechi Eze, who has a £60m release clause at Crystal Palace, while Dani Olmo is another who has cropped up in recent reports. Again, either Silva or De Bruyne moving on would almost certainly see City dip into the market to find a replacement.

It’s in midfield where City’s options have looked most stretched in recent seasons. Phillips was brought in two years ago to provide more support for Rodri, but to say that plan hasn’t worked is an understatement.

Rodri started more games and played more minutes than any other City player last season and in April he complained of tiredness in the build-up to the Champions League encounter against Real Madrid. Given the Spaniard is playing a prominent role at the Euros, adding greater depth in the defensive midfield areas should be viewed as a necessity this summer.

Joshua Kimmich is one name who could alleviate those concerns, and the German international has been linked with a switch to the Etihad and a reunion with Guardiola. Guimaraes - although a different option from Rodri - would also be a solution, and despite City failing to press ahead with an early transfer for the Newcastle United star, something could still happen in coming weeks and months.

Elsewhere, left-back remains a position Guardiola will not acknowledge, with Josko Gvardiol and Nathan Ake providing excellent cover when deployed in that role. In the wide attacking areas, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Oscar Bobb and Jeremy Doku offer more than enough competition for places, especially with Savio expected to join their ranks.

The development of youth talents could also be a factor in City’s transfer planning. A decision will be made on the futures of James McAtee, Maximo Perrone, Alex Robertson and Liam Delap after returning from loan moves, while the youth ranks are packed full of underage protegees such as True Grant, Kian Noble, Mohamadu Susoho, Michael Okeke and Micah Hamilton.

With a plethora of City stars on international duty this summer, there should be plenty of opportunities for youngsters to impress Guardiola during the pre-season tour of America.

That said, significant movements in and out can be expected next month. City’s financial outlook is positive and there are also no concerns about failing to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.

There’s nothing stopping the champions from putting down a real marker ahead of 2024/25 - it’s now a case of the pieces falling into place when the transfer market finally sparks into life.