Man City boss Pep Guardiola could face £226m transfer issue regardless of Harry Kane move

Guardiola gives verdict on Man City's defeat at Tottenham

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Manchester City are eager to sign Harry Kane, and the striker has not travelled with the first team ahead of their Europa Conference League tie against Pacos de Ferreira. However, City have bigger issues to deal with at this time.

Manchester City are used to bringing in whoever they crave during recent times, but it isn’t that often that they have to worry about players leaving the club.

Jack Grealish was bought for a Premier League record £100million this summer and City aren’t done just yet, as they continue to negotiate with Tottenham for Harry Kane.

City are in clear need of a no.9, with a lack of presence in the final third following the departure of Sergio Aguero, but Pep Guardiola may have a departure issue on his hands in the near future with five first-team stars entering the final two years of their contracts. 

If Kane does join this summer, they would have to break the transfer record again, meaning that some stars would have to be sold in order to balance the books.

Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan, Benjamin Mendy and Zack Steffen all have contracts with City until June 2023, and unless they re-sign with new deals should they be offered to them, the club have a decision to make. 

The five stars have a combined transfer value of £226m (according to transfermarkt), but as their contracts run down their value will begin to significantly decrease, and they could lose some of them on free transfers.

Even with the squad depth that City have, this would leave a major hole within the first-team squad, but the players are currently at optimum value.

The most valuable from the list is undoubtably Sterling, as the English forward is only 26 and is coming off the back of an incredible European Championships.

It would be surprising to see Sterling leave, but he would bring in the biggest fee, followed closely by Jesus.

The Brazilian striker hasn’t managed to own the no.9 role, and Guardiola is in desperate need of a world-class striker to complete his star-studded squad. 

The 24-year-old has been successful at City but failed to take full advantage of his opportunity to thrive as Aguero was phased out of the team, and if Jesus were to leave the club, it’s likely that £50m could be demanded for his services.

Mahrez and Gundogan were both influential during City’s title winning campaign, and almost drove the side to European glory, but the pair are now both 30, with the German fast approaching 31.

Both have one final big contract in them and with that, one more opportunity for a sizeable move, which could tempt City into a sale with both valued at an estimated £35-£40m.

Mendy and Steffen are both very much on the fringes, and the injury ridden Frenchman has failed to impress recently following his return to the first team, but the American goalkeeper is a solid back-up to Ederson, and due to an expected lack of depth in his position, will likely be offered a new deal.
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