Man City 2026-27 Season Preview - Pep Guardiola and Rodri Leave Massive Voids

John Eastwood

Editor

Last updated: 2 hours ago

John Eastwood 2 hours ago

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Enzo Maresca replaces Pep Guardiola for 2025/26.
City sees major transfers in and out, especially in midfield when Rodri and Bernardo Silva have left.
Club aims for Premier League title despite transitional challenges, but Arsenal are overwhelming favourites.

Enzo Maresca faces a huge task in replacing Pep Guardiola after losing some key players (Getty Images).

Last Season’s Summary

Manchester City endured a transitional 2025/26 campaign, finishing second in the Premier League as Arsenal ended their long wait for the title.
Last Season’s Summary
Manchester City Coaching Change
Key Transfers In
Key Transfers Out
Three Key Players
Main Areas for Improvement
Upcoming Manchester City Transfer Activity
Overall Season Expectations – Manchester City

City finished seven points behind the champions with 78 points, but still managed to end the season with two domestic trophies. They defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final before beating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley to win the FA Cup.

The Champions League campaign was less successful, with City unable to seriously challenge for European glory as the team continued to show signs of transition. It was ultimately Pep Guardiola's final season at the club after a decade in charge. The Spaniard left having won six Premier League titles and 20 major honours.

Manchester City Coaching Change

Enzo Maresca arrives at Manchester City with the enormous responsibility of replacing Pep Guardiola and maintaining the club's position among Europe's elite. The Italian has already worked at City twice, first as coach of the Elite Development Squad and later as one of Guardiola's assistants during the 2022/23 Treble-winning season. He subsequently enjoyed success as manager of Leicester and Chelsea before returning to the Etihad on a three-year contract.

Maresca's possession-based football and tactical flexibility should make the transition relatively natural, although he faces the difficult task of putting his own identity on a team that has been shaped by Guardiola for a decade. The Italian's football is more rigid than Guardiola's and he faces the tag of being a Pep copycat.

Key Transfers In

Manchester City have invested heavily in midfield, with Elliot Anderson arriving from Nottingham Forest for a club-record £116 million. The England international is expected to play a major role in rebuilding the midfield following the departure of Rodri and several other experienced players.

Jeremy Monga has also joined from Leicester City, while Mathys Detourbet has arrived from Troyes. Both teenagers underline City's continued focus on recruiting exciting young talent alongside established first-team players.

Gerónimo Rulli has also joined from Marseille to provide experienced goalkeeping cover. The Argentina international has signed a two-year contract and gives Maresca another reliable option behind Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Key Transfers Out

Manchester City have also experienced an extraordinary number of important departures. Rodri has joined Barcelona, while Bernardo Silva and John Stones have left after their contracts expired. Nathan Aké has also departed, meaning City have lost a huge amount of experience in a single summer.

Tijjani Reijnders has also left after just one season, joining Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah in a permanent deal. The Dutch midfielder's departure further increases the pressure on City's midfield rebuild.

James Trafford has moved to Leeds and both Savinho and Omar Marmoush are also involved in talks over a possible move to Tottenham. Nico González could leave if City complete further midfield additions.

Three Key Players

Erling Haaland: The Norwegian remains arguably Manchester City's most important player and will be expected to provide the goals that keep the club competing for major trophies. He remains one of the world's most prolific strikers, but he has absolutely no cover and is coming off a major summer tournament for the first time.

Marc Guehi: A lot is expected of Guehi this season after Stones and Ake departed the club. Maresca usually builds up in a back three, so Guehi may be key on the left of that trio.

Elliot Anderson: The former Newcastle will carry enormous responsibility in midfield after arriving for £116 million. Replacing Rodri is impossible for one player but he has the quality to play various roles in the engine room.

Main Areas for Improvement

Manchester City's biggest priority is rebuilding the midfield after losing Rodri, Reijnders and Bernardo Silva.

The defence also needs greater reliability. The departures of Stones and Aké leave Ruben Dias, Marc Guéhi, Josko Gvardiol and the younger defenders with less cover and more need to steer clear of injuries.

The attack must also become more consistent. Haaland remains an elite goalscorer but Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku need to be less unpredictable in their performance levels.

Upcoming Manchester City Transfer Activity

Manchester City's transfer business is definitely not finished because the midfield remains seriously short of experienced options. The club are actively pursuing at least two more midfielders before the transfer deadline.

Ayyoub Bouaddi is one of the main targets, with City advanced in negotiations with Lille for the 18-year-old midfielder. Manu Koné of Roma is another option, while Adam Wharton and Alexis Mac Allister have also been considered.

Enzo Fernández has emerged as another major possibility due to his relationship with Maresca at Chelsea. However, Chelsea's reported £120 million asking price makes a deal considerably more difficult.

There could also be further departures, with Tottenham negotiating for Savinho and Omar Marmoush and Newcastle interested in Nico González. City therefore still have considerable work to do before the September 1st deadline. At least one, if not two, forwards need to be signed to boost the wide areas and provide cover for Haaland.

Overall Season Expectations – Manchester City

Manchester City should be targeting another serious Premier League title challenge after finishing second last season. The club remain one of the strongest teams in Europe, but the departure of Guardiola and several key players means expectations must be balanced against the scale of the rebuild.

Anything lower than third spot would be a poor season. Maresca's personality and style of play could come under real scrutiny from day one.

There are still major questions around replacing Rodri, the loss of experienced leaders and whether Maresca can impose his style quickly enough. City's midfield remains a particular concern, with further recruitment essential before the window closes.

Graduated from the University of Portsmouth in 2008 with a BA in English Literature before completing MA in Journalism. Began his career as a sports journalist in London before moving to the Middle East to work as a sports editor for national media companies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Favourite Sports: Tennis, Boxing, Golf.