Why Manchester City are facing a rebuild right after winning a treble?
Manchester City began their pre-season with a 5-3 win against Japanese side Yokohoma F Marinos. Guardiola's men were slow off the blocks, playing for the first time since completing the treble in June. However, they were quick to find their goal-scoring touch and ended the game with five goals in the bag.
As City prepare their season of title defense in England and Europe, there are some visible gaps in the squad. They have already parted ways with club captain and clutch player Ilkay Gundogan, who joined Barcelona on a free transfer.
The club has also given Riyad Mahrez permission to miss their pre-season tour to speak to Saudi club Al-Ahli over a possible exit. The futures of Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker are not certain either.
City have signed Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea and are reportedly close to completing the signature of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig. However, both players will possibly take time before they can add their worth to the City team.
So, without further ado, let's analyze why Manchester City are facing a rebuild in terms of the business they have done in the summer transfer window.
Summer departures
Gundogan was always likely to join Barcelona at the end of the season. His contract at City was up and despite insistence from the club, he was not looking to stay. He was also looking for a new challenge and Barcelona seemed like the perfect opportunity for him.
His departure has left a giant hole in Manchester City's midfield. Gundogan finished with 18, 16 and 22 goal contributions in his last three seasons at the club. More importantly, he had a habit of coming up with vital goals towards the business end of the season.
He scored two goals against Manchester United in FA Cup final this season to guide City to a hard-fought 2-1 victory. He also scored twice back in the final gameday of the 2021-22 season against Aston Villa to help City retain the title against chasers Liverpool.
Riyad Mahrez, on the other hand, is no longer as vital to City as he was in the earlier seasons. However, he was a solid option to call off the bench or to be used in rotation.
Mahrez scored 10 goals and assisted five more last season. And even though Pep didn't use him in key Champions League and Premier League games, he could always count on Mahrez while navigating through easier games.
Uncertainties around key players
Bernardo Silva has always been the plug-and-play kind of footballer Manchester City needed him to be. Whichever position Guardiola put him in, he excelled to the limit the manager expected.
Last season, Bernardo kept Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez out of the squad for key games even though both are natural wingers. Silva repaid the Catalan coach's faith by playing a starring role in Manchester City's demolition of Real Madrid. He also played a key role in the only goal City scored in the UCL final against Inter Milan.
Kyle Walker is another veteran who could leave City this summer. At 33, it seems logical to offload him this summer. But his importance to the side can never be understated.
Manchester City's high-risk playing has always drawn plaudits from the football world. But Walker has been the unsung hero who has made it work for Guardiola. He has always been the protector of the high defensive line at City. And it was his recovery runs and one-on-one defending that took Vinicius Jr. out of the contest in City's semi-final win against Real Madrid.
Walker is attracting interest from Bayern Munich and City would want to hold on to one of their prized assets. But there is a huge possibility of him leaving since he is one of the oldest players at the club. With Bernardo Silva also attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Barcelona, this could be a double whammy for the club.
Summer arrivals
Till now, the only big signing at the club has been Mateo Kovacic. But he is not even close to the numbers Gundogan generated on the pitch and he is supposed to replace the German at the club.
The Croatian scored a meager six goals in 221 games for Chelsea, spread across five seasons. Even though Kovacic is brilliant with his ball-carrying abilities, he does not yet possess the key passing intellect of Gundogan.
Meanwhile, RB Leipzig has confirmed that if the price tag of over €100m is met, Josko Gvardiol will be a Manchester City player next season. But, joining Manchester City will be a big step up for the Croatian, who is still only 21. Besides, he will not be a direct replacement for the players City have or could lose this summer.
In a nutshell, Guardiola has his task cut out with the rebuild. With potentially Mahrez, Silva and Walker joining Gundogan and with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne now over 30, City will need to revamp their core sooner rather than later.
They will continue to have stability in some positions like Erling Haaland (forward), Ruben Dias (centre-back), Jack Grealish and Phil Foden (wingers). However, the Guardiola squads over the years have been defined with an abundance of key talent spread all over the pitch. It would mean that City could have some heavy spending to do in the coming transfer windows.