Manchester City face the reality of three first-team players who want to leave the club in this transfer window.
The three players, according to Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail, are Bernardo Silva, Aymeric Laporte and Gabriel Jesus. These three players are concerned about their places in the squad for the new seasons, and want to join other clubs.
All three players were crucial cogs in the City juggernaut that romped to the Premier League title, won the Carabao Cup and reached the finals of the UEFA Champions League. However, with this season seeing new players come in and more rumoured ones to follow, Silva, Laporte and Jesus wish to leave.
Midfielder Bernardo Silva has never nailed down a spot in the team, due to manager Pep Guardiola continuously rotating him with the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan. With the arrival of Jack Grealish, things look even bleaker for the Portuguese central-midfielder. As such, Silva is linked with a move to Arsenal and Barcelona, among other teams.
Laporte was one of the first names on the team sheet until his injury. By the time he returned, a resurgent John Stones and new signing Ruben Dias has claimed the centre-back spots in the first team. Laporte believes he regularly needs to play first-team football, and is linked with a move to La Liga.
Finally, Gabriel Jesus was signed for the future by City. However, he was often Sergio Agüero’s understudy, and never lived up to his potential. With Tottenham striker Harry Kane linked with a move to City, Jesus wishes to leave the club to play regularly.
Open to sales
The three players’ sales will help City balance the books if they want to buy more high-profile players. Guardiola also seems to be fine with letting them go for the right price.
At the moment, no one has moved. However, expect City’s activity in the transfer market to be buzzing in the coming weeks.
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