Pep Guardiola may be quietly taking a consequential risk with Manchester City that Liverpool hopes backfires
Summer vacation can be a time to reflect on the previous season.
In the instance of Liverpool, they were two wins away from being the best team in British football history.
However, it was not to be, and Jurgen Klopp will strive once more to make his team eternal.
As Liverpool demonstrated in their Premier League-winning season of 2019/20, adding more players to an already good squad isn’t always the best option, and keeping the ship steady is sometimes the best option.
Manchester City, the Premier League winners, may appear to be in a more unsettled state than usual.
With 3 key members of his squad potentially leaving, could Pep Guardiola be planning a reconstruction at the Etihad?
With the signing of striker Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund earlier in the window, City appeared to be as powerful as ever, but rumours of exits began to circulate, and those rumours appear to be becoming true.
The Premier League winners might lose Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling, and Bernardo Silva all in the same transfer window.
The arrival of Haaland may immediately compensate for the loss of Jesus, who was never a regular starter under Guardiola, but despite his obvious talent, there is no guarantee the Norwegian will be a success at City.
Yes, he is a world-class striker, but life in football isn’t always that simple. Jesus’ contribution to this City side may not have been recognised as much as it could have been.
Sterling is the next in line to be shown the exit door at the Etihad, which may surprise many people given some of his performances for City. But has Guardiola ever trusted him completely?
There has been plenty of speculation that he and Sterling don’t get along, and that this is the first time City has considered him expendable.
Chelsea is reportedly interested in signing the former Liverpool forward for roughly £50 million.
Would City truly allow such a rival to strengthen? They appear to have a chance. While the signing of Julian Alvarez is promising, he is not a direct substitute for Sterling and may require some time to adjust to his new surroundings.
Finally, and probably most crucially, rumours over Bernardo Silva’s future has resurfaced.
Rumours circulated last summer that the Portuguese international wanted to go, but Guardiola persuaded him to stay, and what a masterstroke that was as he went on to have a fantastic season for City.
After a year, the rumours have returned. Silva is thought to want to leave City but will not force a move as Barcelona circles.
However, Guardiola is not known to be keen on keeping an unhappy player in his squad, so it will be fascinating to watch where this one goes.
Silva can be lethal on his day, and even City will struggle to replace him if he leaves.
Has enough been spoken about a possible City rebuild? It may have slipped under the spotlight following the signing of Haaland, but Guardiola is well aware of the work at hand.
All clubs must improve, and it might be argued that City are doing so, but allowing three players who have contributed significantly to their recent success in Sterling, Jesus, and Silva to leave could be a large risk.
And, while Liverpool is undergoing a moment of transition, switching Sadio Mane for Darwin Nunez in this transfer window, the chance of one player – no matter how important – leaving is lower than that of City.
It doesn’t happen frequently, but if Guardiola has faith in the changes he’s making at the Etihad, the club might be in for a season of transition.
With so much at stake, Liverpool will surely hope so.
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Pep Guardiola may be quietly taking a consequential risk with Manchester City that Liverpool hopes backfires
