Manchester City avoided the unthinkable of missing retired connected adjacent season's Champions League - and brag Pep Guardiola past addressed his determination to permission Jack Grealish retired of the squad for Sunday's last crippled of the season.
City's destiny went down to the past time of the Premier League campaign, but a 2-0 victory implicit Fulham connected the banks of the River Thames ensured they did not descend into the Europa League and stay sitting proudly astatine Europe's apical array for a 15th consecutive season.
Attention tin present crook to the summer, erstwhile large changes are expected to a playing squad that Guardiola feels is excessively large and failed to triumph a trophy for the archetypal clip successful 8 years.
One of the biggest names heading for the exit doorway could beryllium midfielder Grealish, who - similar the remainder of his team-mates - has endured a play to forget.
"Don't inquire maine astir Jack," snapped Guardiola. "Who said I'm not blessed with Jack? Rico [Lewis] was not selected, [James] McAtee was exceptional against Aston Villa and Wolves - wherefore not inquire maine astir McAtee?
"It's thing idiosyncratic with Jack. I americium the idiosyncratic who fought for him to travel present and the idiosyncratic who fought for him to enactment present this play and the adjacent season. I americium the 1 who said 'I privation Jack Grealish'.
"Now helium didn't travel due to the fact that helium didn't travel but not thing else. What happens successful the aboriginal is simply a occupation for Txiki [Begiristain], Hugo [Viana] and the agents."
Guardiola raised eyebrows aft Tuesday's triumph implicit Bournemouth by saying helium would "quit" City if helium had specified a ample squad to negociate adjacent season.
He clarified successful Friday's quality league that it was a joke, but reiterated the connection helium needs to enactment with a smaller radical of players.
City person 32 players listed connected their authoritative website, truthful galore departures are likely.
But volition Grealish beryllium 1 of them?
Asked astir his omission, brag Guardiola said: "It was selection. The past 2 months, period and-a-half determination were 5 oregon six players astatine location each clip and this clip I decided for these guys. No much than that.
"Of course, Jack has to play. He's an unbelievable subordinate that has to play shot each 3 days. It didn't hap this play and past play either. He needs to bash it - with america oregon different place.
"It's a question for Jack, his agent, and the nine - if helium stays it volition beryllium good and helium fought similar helium fought from time 1 to marque a publication but not today."
The guardant made a large publication successful the club's Treble occurrence of the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup successful 2022-23, but has struggled to replicate his champion signifier since - and his days astatine the nine present look numbered.
Grealish has scored conscionable 4 Premier League goals crossed the past 2 seasons and has go accustomed to being a substitute.
Signed for £100m from Aston Villa successful 2021, helium failed to diagnostic against Palace successful past Saturday's FA Cup last defeat, with Guardiola alternatively handing a astonishment second-half debut to Argentine teen Claudio Echeverri.
Grealish's deficiency of regular games for City has besides affected his planetary ambitions, and helium was "absolutely heartbroken" to beryllium near retired of England's Euro 2024 squad past summer.
Former City goalkeeper Shay Given told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club that the "writing is connected the wall" for Grealish and helium has to "see what is retired there" for his career.
It remains to beryllium seen whether helium volition beryllium selected for City's Fifa Club World Cup squad, with an expanded tourney starting successful the United States connected 14 June.
What is known is that Kevin de Bruyne played his last crippled against the Cottagers, bringing to an extremity a trophy-laden decennary astatine the club.
There does not look to beryllium immoderate mode backmost for Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips and Maximo Perrone, who person each been retired connected indebtedness this season.
Guardiola signed defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis successful January which could spell the extremity for the injury-prone duo of John Stones and Nathan Ake.
Goalkeeper Ederson was heavily-linked with a determination to Saudi Arabia past summertime and those rumours whitethorn resurface. Third-choice Scott Carson is retired of declaration this summer, portion reports suggest midfielder Bernardo Silva wants a caller situation distant from the Premier League.
And what astir Ilkay Gundogan? The 34-year-old midfielder re-joined from Barcelona successful the summertime and has failed to deed the aforesaid heights arsenic his archetypal spell, but did people a stunning bicycle footwear against Fulham.
It volition beryllium an important play of modulation disconnected the transportation too. Guardiola's long-time subordinate Begiristain, who helium has enjoyed truthful overmuch occurrence with astatine some City and Barcelona, volition permission this summertime and Viana has already started arsenic the caller manager of football.
Qualifying for the Champions League is worthy much than £100m for English teams and City are successful a beardown presumption to walk this summer, having posted a grounds gross of £715m successful their latest accounts, with an wide pre-tax nett of £73.8m.
One subordinate they won't beryllium moving for - astatine this signifier - is Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz owning to the outgo of doing a deal, but Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White remains of involvement portion AC Milan's Tijjani Reijnders has been heavily linked, external with a determination to Etihad Stadium.
"I don't person that feeling," Guardiola said of a rebuild. "Maybe the nine is simply a small antithetic but I person 24 players and I saw them grooming the different time and said however bully they are.
"New faces volition come, particularly successful positions wherever we are weaker, but I don't deliberation a lot. We person players nether declaration who privation to enactment present and I don't privation a batch of players."
City volition beryllium gladsome to spot the backmost of a disappointing run but don't person to hold agelong to marque amends, returning to enactment successful conscionable 24 days' clip astatine the Club World Cup.
The onshore of accidental awaits and whitethorn supply the archetypal measurement to redemption for Guardiola and his men.
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