Guehi role, Phillips transfer, Guardiola future - your Man City questions answered

Our regular Q&A this week looks at how Marc Guehi will slot in at Manchester City and Pep Guardiola's role in transfers

There's no shortage of Manchester City topics to discuss as Pep Guardiola's men look to compete in four competitions this season after the disappointment of last season. We've got every game and press conference covered for you but we also know that there is so much going on around that.

That's why we are holding regular Q&A sessions with our chief City writer Simon Bajkowski. The day of the week it comes out on may change depending on what City's schedule looks like but essentially this is your chance to get an answer on anything you want - simply pop your question here at any time of the week and Simon will pick them all up wrap everything up in one place.

This week's one comes ahead of the last day of the January transfer window on Monday as well as before a crucial Premier League trip to Tottenham. We are looking ahead to the summer and beyond with what the squad will look like.

Hello, Simon. Is there any news on Kalvin Phillips' potential departure? Which teams from which leagues are interested in it? Thank you. Vladimir

What is the actual possibility of Bernardo staying beyond this season? Mr D. Nuts

At the time of writing, it is all very quiet around Kalvin Phillips. Things can change very quickly, as interest in Stefan Ortega from Forest has shown, and the positive news for Phillips is that he has been training with the first team again after some minor injury issues previously.

There has been some interest from clubs in England and the continent this month but nobody has jumped yet on what is a gamble. Phillips needs regular game time to show he can get back to his best, but with his wages those of an England international it will be an expensive risk for any club to bet on that.

As far as Bernardo Silva goes, he spoke about his future again this week and again gave the impression that he will be leaving at the end of the season. Pep Guardiola loves him and loves what he has done as captain this season, and will have made it clear to the player, but the signs currently still point to an exit.

Considering all cbs who remain in the club are fit next season, who's getting benched? Anna

How does the arrival of Guehi impacts Dias' future? With Gvardiol and Khusanov also being in the mix next season the position looks very competitive. Tom

Which CB partnership is the best after all of our players coming back ? Is it dias-Gvardiol, dias-guehi, Gvardiol-guehi, Gvardiol-khusanov, or khusanov-guehi - didn't include stones ake cause they're most likely gone next season YT

If it wasn't clear with the first answer, I've grouped some questions together this week because there have been plenty (thanks very much, it is appreciated!) and because some cover similar ground. In answer to Tom, the arrival of Guehi should hopefully prolong Dias's career after two years where he has been played more than he should have been simply because there were no other options.

Guardiola has compared Guehi to Dias in terms of leadership qualities and there are definitely similarities on the pitch, but they will still be able to make an excellent partnership. The same is true with Josko Gvardiol alongside either one of them, while Abdukodir Khusanov should made an excellent fourth choice with the progress he continues to show. The fifth spot is up for grabs at the moment, assuming Nathan Ake and John Stones leave.

To end with Anna's question, I think Dias will still be the most important because of his seniority at the club and then Guehi and Gvardiol behind him and Khusanov after that, with room for another defender to come in and shake that up. When City won the Treble they had five strong centre-backs that they could rely on and in today's game you need at least that to challenge on four fronts so even if there is a best two the most useful situation will be being able to rotate and rest and pair different defenders up for different games.

What do you think is the overall sentiment in the locker room? Especially after a difficult half of a game? I can't help but see all our players coming out the locker room still "deflated" and unmotivated for the second half. Cavalier

A question that isn't about transfers but one that is very interesting and has caught the eye a lot lately. In so many games, with Galatasaray included in that, there has been a weird drop-off after half-time that has seen City really struggle to find their rhythm again. It should be said that earlier in the season there were a few examples of the opposite happening, and that was the case as recently as Forest just after Christmas. However, it is a bit of a worry for City at the moment.

A lot is made of the half-time teamtalk but usually the more obvious difference is a tactical change made by at least one of the teams. It can feel like City have sat back but sometimes it is the case that they have been pushed back by opposition teams and having lost so much experience in the side they are not as able to see what is happening and change it.

One to look out for in the next few weeks though, definitely.

Who do you think City will sign this summer? From the younger age groups, which player do you think can break into the first-team squad? How is Manchester City internally feeling about Vitor Reis’ development? Keep up the good work! Sending out love from Ethiopia." Kal

Lots of questions in one from Kal but there's flattery at the end so it's allowed. I think central midfield is the big one this summer, with Bernardo Silva's contract up and a situation that cannot continue where basically two of three options in holding midfield have been permanently injured. We've been down the road of confidence at signing a Forest player only for it not to happen last year, but at the moment Elliot Anderson looks the preferred candidate to be a marquee signing.

Other than that, another right-back is surely needed with Guardiola deciding that Lewis is a midfielder. There are centre-backs who can play there and Matheus Nunes is the first choice, so getting an upcoming talent with low wages would feel like the best solution - especially after the January spend.

City are very happy with Reis, who has done well at Girona. He would like to return to Manchester next season but if that isn't possible he will still earn another very good loan. From the academy, Divine Mukasa should be the main beneficiary from Oscar Bobb's departure (and Savinho's injury) but young winger Ryan McAidoo has taken his opportunities well in training and games.

City continue to invest in top-level players and they are more than willing to come, while the media also keeps speculating about Pep Guardiola’s future. Aren’t those two things connected? It’s hard to imagine players like Haaland, Cherki, Semenyo, and [Reinjders/others] committing as they have, especially on long-term deals, without some level of assurance that a major part of their decision was the chance to work with Guardiola not just for this season; but the foreseeable future. Curtis Jackson

How true are the report’s Guardiola leaving in 2026 are? In case of Guardiola leaving, who are in the Man City’s shortlist for his replacement? Not Maresca

Are there any concerns or doubts within the club as to whether this season will be Pep's last? dinozavr d

There have been concerns or doubts as to whether this will be Pep's last season since he first stepped through the door! But I can understand why there may be more now. It's very possible, of course, that there are no concerns or doubts because the hierarchy have a decision either way but unfortunately that isn't clear yet.

Moving onto Maresca or Not Maresca, the former City No.2 will certainly be looked at when Guardiola decides to leave and City will have to be ready if he opts for 2026 - although it still isn't certain he has, and he has always fulfilled contracts up to now in his coaching career.

You can expect several coaches with experience of City Football Group and a top club to be under consideration, with Vincent Kompany looking the best of that bunch (and Mikel Arteta - but he is obviously doing well at a Premier League rival). Then there are more without the CFG bit, with Luis Enrique, Xabi Alonso, Thomas Tuchel and Roberto de Zerbi all names that have been mentioned. A lot will depend on timing, but it will also take somebody with some guts to be the man that follows Guardiola.

To answer Curtis, it is easy to think that new signings coming means that Guardiola is staying longer. If you are one of those players, you would certainly want assurances that you can work with him for as long as possible. However, City have been particularly pleased to sign Semenyo and Guehi this month given that the odds of Guardiola being around even for the majority of their contracts are slim to none so it does show the pulling power the club has without him.

One department that often gets overlooked is player care, which has helped so many stars feel settled in an area of Manchester that is right for them and every team at City is designed to do everything they can to let the players just focus on football. It has proven to be pretty successful over the last 15-20 years.