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Seven key first team players could leave Man City

3EDA1FK Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, UK. 4th May, 2026. Premier League Football, Everton versus Manchester City; Mateo Kovacic of Manchester City looks dejected at full time Editorial use only: DataCo restrictions apply See www.football-dataco.com Credit: Action Plus Sports/Alamy Live News

Manchester City are still without a manager following the departure of Pep Guardiola at the end of the season. 

According to BBC Sport, the Citizens remain locked in talks with Premier League rivals Chelsea over Enzo Maresca, with the former keen to appoint the ex-Blues boss as Guardiola’s successor.

Maresca had previously worked as an academy manager at City and was also Guardiola’s assistant during their treble-winning 2022/23 campaign, and it appears increasingly likely that he will succeed his former colleague at The Etihad.

This summer looks likely to be one of huge change in Manchester, following the departures of Guardiola, John Stones and Bernardo Silva.

Now, it has emerged that as many as seven more Manchester City stars could depart the club this summer, according to The Athletic.

The report claims that seven first team stars – including Omar Marmoush and Mateo Kovacic – could be allowed to leave The Etihad during this summer’s window.

Kovacic joined City from Chelsea back in 2023 but has since struggled to establish himself as a guaranteed starter and, with just 12 months remaining on his current contract, it appears that the Croatian could depart.

Reijnders is one of several stars who could leave Man City this summer (Photo: Action Plus Sports Images/Alamy)

Marmoush, meanwhile, was signed in 2025 from Eintracht Frankfurt but has since scored just 16 goals in 61 games across all competitions.

Defender Nathan Ake is another star who could be sold, the report claims, while midfield duo Nico Gonzalez and Tijjani Reijnders may also leave City, despite the latter only arriving last summer.

Goalkeeper James Trafford is another name on the list, despite joining from Burnley last year; the Englishman was quickly replaced as City’s first-choice ‘keeper by Gianluigi Donnarumma and has since struggled for game time.

Academy graduate Rico Lewis is another player that the report claims could be sold this summer, with the Englishman’s game time at City having decreased over the past 18 months.

The report also suggests that City defender Josko Gvardiol is assessing his options, amid interest from both Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

Ruben Dias, meanwhile, is also on the radar of Spanish giants Real Madrid and could be the subject of an offer once Jose Mourinho is announced as the La Liga giants’ new boss.

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