Throughout his time at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has maintained that a refresh of the squad is a must to continue his constant hunger for success.
As we saw in 2019/20, keeping the same faces for too long will – naturally – lower the level of commitment after back-to-back Premier League title successes. So this season, Guardiola is taking no chances and there are many changes at the Etihad Stadium.
Erling Haaland is a standout name to fill the Sergio Agüero-shaped void, but Julian Alvarez is another electric striker who has arrived in England with real potential. Kalvin Phillips joined from Leeds United and Stefan Ortega joined as back-up goalkeeper.
Something could still be done, but one position that hasn't been mentioned could become a real problem next summer - the more attacking-minded central midfielders.
At the moment, City have Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan filling that role. The latter is out of contract next year and there is no indication that an extension is on the table - meaning the German is likely to leave the club on a free.
Another interesting situation is Bernardo Silva. The Barcelona link does not appear to be going away and there is interest from both the player and the club to complete a deal at some point. The Catalan giants have their own financial problems, but as Silva's contract expires, links with a move to Camp Nou will only grow stronger.
It seems unlikely at the moment, but if it were to materialize it would leave the Blues with just one senior recognized number eight in the squad. Kevin De Bruyne - still in his exciting prime - will be a starter for the next few years, but he cannot carry the creative burden alone. If Gundogan and Silva leave in the same summer, it would create a problem for Guardiola.
City would need to sign two specialist midfielders. Replacing them with two players might be easy, but replacing them with two players of the same caliber in the same summer is a huge problem.
There is of course room for Phil Foden or Jack Grealish to return to that role, but that would again leave the Blues short in attacking areas. With no number eights currently linked to the club, it looks like they will be happy to deal at the end of next season.
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