Pep Guardiola faces new transfer dilemma for Man City

Pep Guardiola faces new transfer dilemma for Man City

Manchester City are set to allow several players to leave this summer – although a young exit-linked prospect has just shown what he can do

Like every summer, it seems that at Man City a number of the club’s players are linked with moves elsewhere.

The club’s policy of not getting in the way of anyone who wants to leave means it’s basically unavoidable, with Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte, Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva all set to exit this year’s transfer window. been to associate. City have been fair to players who have asked for more playing time in the past and if anyone in their current squad makes it clear they need minutes that Pep Guardiola is currently unable to provide, a change is the logical step.

That’s exactly what happened last summer, when Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko were all cleared to join clubs traditionally seen as direct Premier League rivals. All three played important minutes last season, with the latter two nearly helping Arsenal win the title at City’s expense. However, their success is unlikely to lead to a change in policy as the departures provide a welcome boost to the transfer fund. Interest in RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol appears to open the door for Laporte to take on new roles this summer, while young goalkeeper James Trafford is also set to join Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.

Trafford is considered one of England’s top goalkeeper candidates, but after seeing his way into City’s first team currently blocked by Ederson and Stefan Ortega, he has decided to pursue his development elsewhere. Trafford was between the posts on Wednesday night as the England Under-21s secured their place in the EURO U21 final with a 3-0 win over Israel.

And it was one of Trafford’s City team-mates who ignited the spark for his country. Cole Palmer has been involved in every England goal as he scored one and provided two assists, showing he may have just as much potential as Trafford.

Palmer’s 42nd-minute shot was blocked by a Morgan Gibbs-White header before the tables were turned in the second half and the City star scored. And in the final minutes, Cameron Archer pocketed a pass from Palmer to seal the win.

Another name linked with City’s summer exit is Palmer, but if his recent performance is anything to go by, he may have just given Guardiola food for thought. It’s clear that City’s candidate is one of the best talents in his age group and could have a high cap, meaning City may regret their decision in the future if they sell him now. The 21-year-old made 14 Premier League appearances last season, but as they mostly came from the bench this meant he played just 358 minutes. An FA Cup goal in a 6–0 defeat to Burnley proved to be his only goal of the season, while his assist for Julian Alvarez against Chelsea in the Premier League was his only assist.

But Palmer has shown the form of him for the England U21 team who have what it takes to make more of an impression at club level too, should he need to play a string of matches to get into his rhythm. While a transfer may give him the minutes he craves, Guardiola will need to think long and hard before letting go of such a prospect – whether he can integrate him into his first team squad more successfully than last season.