2 days Ago By Feargal Brennan
Changes are expected at Manchester City this summer as Pep Guardiola's looks to rebuild his squad for the 2025/26 season. After securing a spot in the FA Cup semifinals over weekend, Guardiola admitted their current campaign had fallen way below expectations , after being ruthlessly knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid . City's Premier League title defence was also ended months ago as Liverpool have stormed away at the top of the EPL rankings.
Guardiola bolstered his options in the January transfer window by adding £177m [$228m] worth of new faces including Nico Gonzalez and Omar Marmoush. However, the summer window is expected to feature even more spending, with some big-name departures potentially on the horizon as part of a new era at the Etihad Stadium. Veterans Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne could move on - with the latter linked to MLS side San Diego FC - and the freed up salary space could fund a move for AC Milan star Tijjani Reijnders.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Tijjani Reijnders AC Milan contract, transfer fee, key stats If De Bruyne leaves, the Belgian will not bring in a transfer fee due to his contract expiring, with Walker's anticipated exit likely to feature a settlement of the final year of his deal. However, it would release wages to be reinvested, with reports from Football Insider indicating Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic could also be sold to fund a mega-offer for Reijnders. The Dutch international agreed a contract extension at the San Siro at the start of last month to renew his link to the Serie A giants until 2030.
However, that may have been with a view to protecting his transfer value, and with no release clause in the agreement - City could be quoted £50m [$65m] for the 26-year-old. Guardiola will need to strike a balance between refreshing his squad and ensuring he retains title-winning experience within his ranks. Reijnders' profile fits more closely with replacing Kovacic, by adding some much-needed drive and energy into the City engine room, alongside an eye-catching goal threat.
Nine Serie A goals, and 13 across all competitions this season, demonstrates his ability to power forward and make an impact in the opposition penalty area. MORE: Man City quoted Premier League transfer record for 'new Jack Grealish'.
