Manchester City have five players entering the final year of their contracts, with some major decisions to be made.
The Blues are entering a new era with Enzo Maresca in charge after a decade of Pep Guardiola and it remains to be seen how the new manager will want to set up his squad. The Blues will complete the £116million signing of Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson in the coming days and could yet add another midfielder, while a right back and winger are also on the shopping list.
But there is uncertainty around plenty of players at the Etihad with Spurs keen on Savinho, Ruben Dias and Rodri being linked with Real Madrid and uncertainty around the likes of Nico Gonzalez, Omar Marmoush and Tijjani Reijnders.
City have the foundation of a squad capable of challenging on all fronts, as evidenced by winning a domestic cup double last season while taking the Premier League title race to the final week of the season. But there are questions that need answering with the out of contract five’s future among them. Here’s a snapshot of where things are at with the quintet.
Nathan Ake
The defender is expected to depart in search of more regular game time. He’s just been knocked out of the World Cup with the Netherlands and so decisions on his future will likely be made in the next few weeks but the 31-year-old has admirers.
What comes next for Ake could also be influenced by Ruben Dias with the Portugal international linked with a move to Real Madrid. City want to keep Dias and he could well be named club captain next season. But if he does depart Ake could fill the void of a fourth senior centre back with Marc Guehi, Abdukodir Khusanov and Josko Gvardiol firmly part of the picture.
Phil Foden
He is perhaps the one on this list with the most concrete outlook for next term. Foden struggled for form in the second half of last season and hasn’t hit the heights that carried him to the Premier League Player of the Year honour in 2024, but he has shown patches of why he can a often viewed as a generational talent and club and player have broadly agreed terms over a new contract. The 26-year-old is a boyhood Blue and is set to continue his time with the club.
Mateo Kovacic
The midfielder barely featured last season due to injuries but was preferred to Nico Gonzalez during the run in. He has the experience and discipline to offer a holding midfield option but the arrival of Elliot Anderson adds more competition in the middle of the park. It seems unlikely Kovacic will get a new deal and so player and club must establish whether the parting of the ways comes this summer or next.
Rodri
The great unknown. The midfielder’s future has been speculated about plenty in recent months, not helped by the player himself speaking candidly about potentially playing in Madrid while on international duty. City would love to keep the 30-year-old and in an ideal world extend his contract while the need for surgery after the World Cup will surely put off any potential suitors.
Anderson’s arrival could take some of the burden off his shoulders and there were signs in the closing weeks of last term that the Spain international was starting to return towards his best after the cruciate injury. You suspect Real Madrid’s interest will remain and while he’s seemingly more likely to stay this summer than go you wouldn’t stake too much on it, and that doesn’t answer the question of what happens in 2027.
Marcus Bettinelli
The veteran stopper is filling the very modern day Premier League spot of a homegrown qualified player who is happy with a watching brief, while providing an experienced hand if required and a knowledge base and leadership to help set and maintain standards in training. Seems certain to stay at the club before a decision is taken next summer over whether the then 35-year-old departs or potentially agrees a new 12-month contract.
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