2 weeks ago
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Manchester City have made six signings in the summer transfer window and may not be done yet with a month still to go
James Trafford became the sixth signing of Manchester City's summer after completing a £27m move from Burnley. Having joined the Clarets for £14m two years ago, he returns with the No.1 shirt and the ambition of replacing Ederson in the first team.
If and when that happens, it will be part of a major rebuild in the squad that has been going on since the start of the year. With City unusually busy in the January transfer window, Trafford is the 12th new arrival in 2025.
Some of those players will likely spend the next campaign elsewhere, with Claudio Echeverri and Vitor Reis attracting interest on loan. However, there will definitely be a new feel to the team this season with so many signings that have been brought in to challenge for a first-team place.
With a month of the transfer window left, City aren't done either. They have been looking at the right-back situation for months, with Kyle Walker having departed permanently and Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes struggling in different ways last season.
As of yet, the Blues haven't been tempted to sign anyone for that position. That may remain the case when the window shuts in September if there isn't a player out there that is enough of an appealing option.
But Hugo Viana and his recruitment team will keep looking as they see if the squad can be strengthened further for the new campaign.
Otherwise, City will be focused on departures. Jack Grealish and James McAtee will ideally leave permanently - with both potentially attracting sizable fees - and a number of loans need to be sorted. There could also be more exits unless players are happy not to be picked in the Champions League squad for a minimum of eight group games.
“I would love to have the players that we have right now all season. I love it. I don’t have any complaint about the players, how they behave," Guardiola said last month.
“The problem is that they will be unhappy during the season. They will be sad. They will be disappointed. I don’t want that. For me, it’s not a problem, I have more selection, but I don’t like to have six or seven players or five players at home just in case there’s no injuries.
“I don’t want a big squad for them, not for me, for them. So that’s why we have to see what happens.”
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