Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola could swing the axe through his squad, with up to six first-team players set to depart.
Guardiola has already decided to cut his losses on Joao Cancelo, allowing the full-back to join Bayern Munich on loan. The Bundesliga giants also have an option to buy on the 28-year-old, who has made 17 Premier League appearances this season.
And he’s not the only City star facing an uncertain future, with five more players potentially following him out the door at the Etihad. That is according to Spanish journalist Jose Alvarez, who told Spanish TV show El Chiringuito that Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, Joao Cancelo and Aymeric Laporte could all depart in the summer.
READ MORE:Inside Joao Cancelo’s fallout with Pep Guardiola as frustrated Man City star is axed
Club captain Gundogan has long been linked with a move away from City, with Barcelona among the interested parties. The 32-year-old’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season, although City are reportedly hopeful of getting him to renew.
However, rumours continue to swirl over his future and Alvarez claims Gundogan in “quite advanced” negotiations over a free transfer.
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Silva is another who has frequently been linked with a transfer from the Etihad. According to Alvarez, the Portugal international could finally depart the club as he “keeps rejecting” contract proposals from the Premier League champions.
And while City are said to want to give Aymeric Laporte a new deal, Alvarez claims the Spain star is “thinking more about a departure” in June.
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The sextet are all conceivably at the top of their respective games, but that hasn’t stopped Guardiola in the past. The former Barcelona boss is known for allowing players to leave if they are not happy at the club.
Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko all exited the Etihad last summer after requesting more game time, despite them being prominent members of the first-team squad.
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