How Man City's vengeful new £525m starting line-up could look if late window deals are completed

Pep Guardiola has had almost a year since Manchester City began the slump that saw their grip on the Premier League finally end to cook up the revenge tour of all revenge tour, and we’ve finally got some proper insight into how his side will aim to reclaim the title in 2025/26.

As fantasy footballers well know, Pep Guardiola likes to rotate particularly his attacking players more than any other coach in the Premier League so take this ‘strongest XI’ with a pinch of salt.

Particularly with Manchester City qualifying for the Champions League for the 15th consecutive season, expect plenty of chopping and changing from Guardiola while fans wait anxiously for the outcome of the Premier League’s investigation into the infamous 115 charges.

So plenty of big names and recent signings are missing from this list - Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Josko Gvardiol to name a few - but all will get plenty of opportunities over the course of the season.

Overhauled Man City defence to take the Premier League by storm?

James Trafford (£31m), Matheus Nunes (£53m), Ruben Dias (£65m), Manuel Akanji (£15m), Rayan Ait-Nouri (£36.3m)

James Trafford may not start the season as Manchester City’s starting keeper but he looks set to end it as that if he can provide a more consistent base in defence and attack than Ederson. The U21 European champion didn’t have the best introduction to life in the Premier League but after a season to regroup in the Championship, the Citizens’ possession dominance should enable Guardiola to ease him in more gently.

Ahead of him, any combination of Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, John Stones and Josko Gvardiol will be an imposing partnership in central defence but it’s at full-back where the magic happens.

Guardiola unveiled an absolute monstrosity of a system at the Club World Cup where the full-backs act as wingers early in the build-up play before inverting to midfield when Rodri’s partners join the forward line and striking at gaps in the defence with speed, accuracy and dynamism when the chances prevent itself.

It’s a tactic Adam Clery labelled ‘Sixth man running’ and it’s absolutely bonkers but plays to the unique strengths of Matheus Nunes, who had a difficult first season at the Etihad Stadium, and former Wolves star Rayan Ait-Nouri.

All-star Man City midfield set to dominate

Bernardo Silva (£43.6m), Rodri (£62.5m), Tijjani Reijnders (£46.3m)

No need to overanalyse this one. You could make the argument that Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders each are of have recently been the best player of their profile in the world so put them all together and the sparks are sure to fly.

Behind them the picture is less clear - Gonzalez is a fine back-up but £12.5m teenage starlet Sverre Nypan will spend the season at Middlesbrough, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic are both in their 30s and James McAtee and Claudio Echeverri have both been linked with moves away from Manchester.

Marquee signing takes place in Manchester City’s front three

Rayan Cherki (£34m), Erling Haaland (£51.5m), Rodrygo (£86m)

Likewise, Manchester City are packed with options to play alongside Erling Haaland and depending on what Guardiola has up his sleeve.

But again, we saw in the Club World Cup that while the width in this system is provided by the full-backs early in the attacking phase, once Manchester City form up into their offensive 2-3-5 the widest players are the wingers, with the full-backs bursting through to attack gaps in the opposition defence.

In that context, Guardiola’s willingness to part with Savinho who has literally the worst finisher in the Premier League last season out of 574 qualifying players (per Opta via FBRef.com but lit up the division with the ball at his feet and a defender in his path, hints that he’s looking to bring in another winger and Rodrygo fits the bill.

An established superstar, Rodrygo would combine that threat in wide areas with polish in front of goal and an undeniable big-game temperament that Guardiola knows first-hand can be the difference between winning and losing the biggest games. Jeremy Doku could compete with Rodrygo on the left while new arrival Rayan Cherki looks set to get the nod over Foden on the other flank.

It seems a long time ago now but only 12 months ago Foden was coming off the back of a title-winning campaign where he’d been named PFA Player of the Year, been nominated for the Ballon d’Or and (unfortunately) started every game in England’s run to the Euro 2024 final. It would’ve been unthinkable to suggest he’d find himself in the M11 wilderness but it’s hard to see how this system plays to his strengths.

Finally, there’s no doubting Haaland’s stranglehold over the centre forward position but Guardiola’s system should suit Marmoush equally well when he’s rotated in.