Update: Two signings, five released – Man City are closer than you think to dream 2026 starting XI News

Manchester City only have one more contract decision to make for next season – but must make more difficult calls in 2026.

One of Txiki Begiristain’s final acts at Manchester City has been the tough decision to end Kevin De Bruyne’s incredible decade at the Etihad.

Begiristain, the outgoing Sporting Director, made the decision along with Pep Guardiola, who has signed up for another two years in charge. De Bruyne said in his farewell message that ‘whether we like it or not, it’s time to say goodbye,’ and Guardiola later confirmed that the club must move on.

City are committed to rebuilding and overhauling their squad which contains a legendary group of senior players. This season has shown the time is catching up on them and Guardiola was wrong to put off a spending spree last summer. The Blues made up for that in January with nearly £200m of new signings in key positions – centre-back, holding midfield and up front – and will try to continue that work in the summer.

Ilkay Gundogan has triggered a new contract given his game time this season leaving just Scott Carson who has a deal expiring at the end of the campaign. A third-choice goalkeeper will be easy to find if Carson doesn’t sign another year, and then attention must turn to players out of contract in 2026.

At the moment, those players are Gundogan, Ederson, Stefan Ortega, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva and James McAtee. At least five of those should realistically be treated in a similar, emotion-free, way to De Bruyne.

Gundogan will go down in City history but surely won’t expect another deal if he doesn’t leave before then. Stones is in the category of influential player who transforms the side – when he is available. Guardiola has twice admitted City can’t afford to carry injury-prone players who keep getting injured.

Walker will likely move on this summer in some capacity despite leaving the door open for a return, while Bernardo Silva will be 32 shortly after his contract expires so a De Bruyne-like decision could be best for all parties. This week he has been linked (again) with a return to Benfica.

Ederson and Ortega have both been linked with exits this summer and will be 32 and 33 respectively in 2026. Maybe both leave, or they both decide to stay. At some point soon, however, the goalkeeping department will need a refresh.

So if Guardiola and new Sporting Director Hugo Viana look ahead to the first game of the 2026/27 season and plot a prospective team, they can see a potential XI with just two new signings needed as a priority.

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A new goalkeeper feels necessary either as first or second choice, and so does a new right-back. Then City have Abdukodir Khusanov under a long-term contract as well as Ruben Dias, Manu Akanji and Nathan Ake tied down until 2027. Josko Gvardiol was signed as a ten-year solution so completes the back-line and will only be 24 in 2026.

Rodri will be 30 at the start of the 2026/27 campaign so can provide the experience alongside Nico Gonzalez. Phil Foden can replace De Bruyne as City’s talisman with a wing-pairing of Savinho and Jeremy Doku already dubbed the future by Guardiola. Erling Haaland is signed up for another nine years in attack, with Omar Marmoush a fine alternative on either wing, at number ten or number nine.

Ake, Akanji, Mateo Kovacic and Jack Grealish are contracted until 2027 – and while they may not last beyond that you would expect the likes of Dias, Rodri and Foden to get new deals past that summer.

City must always future-proof their squad and this season has shown that process should never take a year off. But if Guardiola is plotting a series of new transfers to continue the overhaul he may not need as many as some outsiders think.

Possible Man City starting XI for 2026/27: New goalkeeper, New right-back, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Rodri, Gonzalez, Foden, Savinho, Doku, Haaland.

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