Summer Clear-Out For City?
Sky Sports understand that Manchester City chairman Neville Longbottom has ordered manager Manuel Pellegrini to enforce a mass squad clear-out over the summer in order to make way for the future. Club icons Yaya Touré and Pablo Zabaleta supposedly top the list of players who are expected to leave the Etihad in the summer, with many Premier League and La Liga clubs having taken a keen interest in to the availability of City's top talents.
Yaya Touré, Champions League winner with Barcelona and two-time Premier League champions with Manchester City, looks set to finally seal a move away from the Etihad in the summer as hairman Neville Longbottom looks to pave the way for future success. While Touré is relatively old by footballing terms, 32, this season he has earned his 99th international appearance for Ivory Coast, and has already equaled his third highest goalscoring season for Manchester City in the Premier League (6) after just 18 games. While still considered to be one of the best midfielders in the world, it is summer signing Marco Verratti who looks set to fill the boots of the Ivorian powerhouse.
Likely Asking Price: £25-30M
Pablo Zabaleta is another prolific name on Manchester City's "to sell" list. Despite having made 23 appearances in all competitions this season, the club look set to place their faith in summer signing Mario Fernandes, who has been as equally impressive in his 14 appearances this season. Zabaleta has been a key figure in both of Manchester City's title winning campaigns, and will look to claim his third Premier League title before his supposed departure in the summer.
Likely Asking Price: £15M
Samir Nasri is another big name on the list. The French attacking midfielder, now 28, has fallen down the pecking order following the summer signings of Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Neymar and Felipe Anderson, and looks set to leave the club for a bargain fee in the summer. While he has impressed in his 11 appearances this season, scoring 3 times, Nasri looks set to leave the club in order to find first-team football.
Likely Asking Price: £15M
Gael Clichy is another Frenchman who looks set to depart in the summer. The left back has been restricted to 11 appearances so far this season due to the form of Aleksander Kolarov, and the three-time Premier League champion looks set to leave in order to recapture first-team football. At the age of 30, Clichy is currently in his prime as a defender and with explosive pace and advanced technical abilities, looks set to be coveted by many of the top clubs in Europe.
Likely Asking Price: £5M
Fernandinho has been restricted to mostly substitute appearances in a Manchester City shirt this season due to the arrivals of Marco Verratti and Axel Witsel, as well as the performances of Yaya Touré. The current Brazilian international certainly has all the assets of a top midfielder and despite not being able to break in to the City line-up, would certainly be a good fit for any club in the world at the moment.
Likely Asking Price: £10M
Axel Witsel only arrived in the summer just gone but has been unable to force his way past Toure and Verratti in to the starting line-up. The Belgian midfielder, at the age of 26, is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world and, having already claimed 65 Belgium caps, looks set to join one of the top clubs in the world in the summer.
Likely Asking Price: £15M
Goalkeeper
Willy Caballero might be set to leave Manchester City in the summer. The Argentine has often been called upon to fill in for Joe Hart this season, having made 11 appearances and claimed 5 clean sheets. However, Caballero is looking to become the undoubted number one shot stopper at a club and has many suitors lined up to take him away from the Etihad.
Likely Asking Price: £1M
Stevan Jovetic, currently out on loan at Inter Milan, is also expected to be sold in the summer. The 26 year old attacker has featured predominantly as a left winger for Inter this season but has found his chances reduced by an unfortunate hamstring tear. Despite having a reputation for being injury prone, the Macedonian attacker looks set to leave for a top club in the summer.
Likely Asking Price: £15M