The revamp is underway at Manchester City. Following what was a quiet summer window which saw only Savinho arrive – alongside the return of Ilkay Gundogan – the champions sprung into life in January, splashing the cash to bring in four fresh faces to bolster Pep Guardiola’s ranks.
This hasn’t been the season that was anticipated at the Etihad, yet Guardiola – fresh off the back of signing a new two-year deal – appears hungry to lead the club into its next phase, with the ageing squad in need of a significant rebuild.
The defensive unit has been re-energised, in particular, following the captures of Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov, while it looks as if the Citizens have finally acquired a suitable understudy to Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri, in the form of Nico Gonzalez.
As for the attacking ranks, however, it does appear that further reinforcements are required even after the £59m capture of Omar Marmoush. Jack Grealish, for instance, has scored just twice all season, while Jeremy Doku has only scored six times on the flanks.
The need for competition in those wide areas is evident – will City live to regret letting go of so many potential solutions?
Where Man City's academy stars are now
The obvious place to start is, of course, with Cole Palmer, with the Chelsea talisman having set the Premier League alight over the last 18 months or so, after chalking up 60 goals and assists in just 75 games for the west London side to date.
Whether the Englishman would have hit those heights in Manchester is a difficult question to answer, yet having seen just how effective the 22-year-old has been in his new surroundings, any sense of regret is understandable.
Palmer is also currently joined at Stamford Bridge by another City academy product, Jadon Sancho, albeit after chalking up 117 goals and assists in just 158 games for Borussia Dortmund, the fleet-footed winger has since toiled in English football, scoring only 14 goals across his time at Manchester United and Chelsea.
Meanwhile, a player following in Sancho’s footsteps in Dortmund is Jamie Gittens, with the 20-year-old – who left the Etihad on a free transfer in 2020 – registering 15 goals and assists already this season, sparking calls for a potential senior England call-up for the wing wizard.
Another former star of the academy who is shining abroad is Brahim Diaz, with the diminutive Spaniard having come back to bite his former employers in last month’s Champions League tussle, after scoring against Guardiola’s side.
The 25-year-old will be vying for European glory over the coming months, as too will be Bayern Munich’s newest sensation, Michael Olise. Could the France international represent one of Man City’s biggest errors of recent times?
Man City must regret losing 'one of the world's best'
Reports over the summer indicated that Guardiola and co had attempted a last-gasp hijack to try and sign Olise ahead of the Bundesliga giants, with the departing Crystal Palace star having previously been on the books in Manchester.
Stat (*per game)
Champions League
Bundesliga
Games
11
24
Goals
5
8
Assists
2
7
Big chances created
8
15
Key passes*
1.5
2.2
Pass accuracy*
86%
86%
Tackles*
0.9
1.1
Interceptions*
0.4
0.3
Successful dribbles*
2.0
2.1
Possession lost*
16x
12.7
Formerly a youth player at both Arsenal and Chelsea, the London-born playmaker left City for nothing in order to join Reading in 2017, prior to going on to make the move to Selhurst Park on an £8m deal in 2021.
Still only 23, the winger’s stock is soaring following his instant impact since arriving in Germany ahead of the current campaign, with Olise living up to the billing as “one of the best talents in the world”, as hailed by Palace boss Oliver Glasner.
Only this week, the 6 foot speedster played an integral role in Bayern’s 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, teeing up Harry Kane for the game’s opener with a whipped, right-footed cross.
In all, Olise’s tally for the season now stands at 13 goals and a further 13 assists across all competitions, with Vincent Kompany’s side currently on course to romp to the league title.
To have adapted so quickly to life at an elite club like Bayern is a testament to his quality, as too is the fact that he is now deemed to be worth around £72m, according to CIES Football Observatory.
Considering that the wideman slipped from City’s grasp for nothing, that soaring value may sting as far as City are concerned, particularly with his current side having paid ‘just’ £50m to land him less than a year ago.
Market Movers
At a time when Guardiola is seemingly looking to fashion a youthful, new-look side at the Etihad, Olise appears to be the type of player who would’ve been a perfect fit.
Worth 100% more: Man City must rue selling one of England's biggest talents
It’s not just Cole Palmer who Man City could regret moving on…
ByRobbie WallsMar 4, 2025