Manchester City are in danger of losing several players to Real Madrid if Pep Guardiola leaves in the summer of 2025, according to a fresh transfer update from Spain.
Guardiola may leave Man City next year
City once again clinched Premier League glory last season, making it four league titles on the spin, and the early indications this time around suggest that Guardiola's men are again very much the team to beat.
It could be that this is their legendary manager's final season at the Etihad, however, with the Spaniard failing to rule out the idea of moving on in 2025. He may feel that he has taken his team as far as he can, as was the case with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool earlier this year, having been in charge since 2016.
Should Guardiola move on, he will leave City as one of the most influential figures in the club's history, not only nurturing many of the best players ever to appear in the blue shirt but also winning countless trophies, not least the holy grail of the Champions League in 2023.
The supporters will hope that the former Barcelona hero still has many years left in him in charge, but at this point, it would arguably be a surprise if he was still manager this time next year given the silence around a new contract. Now, it looks as though a hugely important City player could now leave alongside him next year.
Man City could lose another "huge" star in 2025
According to a report from Spain, Manchester City could lose Erling Haaland to Real Madrid at the end of this season, with the reigning Champions League winners keen on snapping him up and capable of paying his current £19.5m-a-year salary.
The update states that Florentino Pérez is personally a massive fan of the player, and has made him one of their most coveted targets for next summer. It is also claimed that Haaland "has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave the Premier League at a reasonable price," while the uncertainty surrounding Guardiola and the 115 charges is also thought to be playing its part.
This comes after Madrid have already been lurking around midfielder and potential Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, with City desperately trying to extend the Spain international's contract to fend off that interest.
The idea of City losing Pep, Haaland and Rodri – all at the peak of their powers – will terrify City supporters, with the 24-year-old in particular a simply unbelievable talent whose goalscoring statistics are off the chart. Incredibly, he already has seven league goals in three games this season, and 97 in 102 appearances overall.
Guardiola treasures the Norwegian, describing him as "huge", and he feels like the difference-maker in this season's Premier League title race, with his ability to find the net at a freakish rate potentially giving the Cityzens the edge over Arsenal and Liverpool.
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The lure of Madrid is great, however, especially with Kylian Mbappe now joining the likes of Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham there, so it is easy to see Haaland's head still being turned by a move to arguably the biggest club in the world.
Keeping him on beyond this season has to be one of City's biggest aims, though, during which time they will hope he continues to smash record after record.