Five potential players for Pep Guardiola's next era at Manchester City

On Thursday, the club confirmed the news that Guardiola has signed a new deal despite mounting doubts over his future in England and the 115 charges of breaking FFP rules during a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.

The Spaniard has already guided Manchester City to six Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, two FA Cups and a Champions League, which leaves many questioning just what else can he do in charge of the Mancunian club.

Well, for the first time in what feels like years, City find themselves at a bit of a crossroads regarding their form and where the squad goes next.

Looking to the future, several of City's top stars appear to be declining as they get older, and long-term Director of Football Txiki Begiristain is confirmed to be departing - leaving Guardiola with a 'mini-rebuild' after agreeing to a new contract.

Counting the rest of this season, as well as the next two campaigns (covering the one-year extension and the option of another 12 months), there are a minimum of 11 more trophies for Guardiola to capture which would certainly be the priority for one of football's greatest coaches - as well as building a team ready to be taken over once he does decide to leave.

He will shape the side with the help of City's scouting team and incoming Director of Football Hugo Viana, who will be leaving Portuguese club Sporting.

The balance of signing players for immediate success as well as guaranteeing the long-term future of the team is always tricky to navigate - but Flashscore has decided to have a look at five potential signings for Guardiola's new era at Manchester City.

Ousmane Diomande (Defender, Sporting)

Starting in the centre of defence, City are very well stocked but not blessed with much youth - Ruben Dias is in his prime at 27 but John Stones is now 30 and his contract reportedly expires in the summer of 2026.

There are also the likes of Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji (both 29) who are still valuable members of the squad but could be upgraded if Guardiola feels his team needs some fresh faces.

The opportunity is there for a young defender to come in and complement the squad alongside recent home-grown debutant Jahmai Simpson-Pusey.

With Viana arriving as Director of Football from Sporting, there's every chance that he looks to his former club for potential signings and one that fits the bill is 20-year-old defender Diomande.

The Ivorian is one of the top young prospects in Europe and is a regular for Sporting in both the Liga Portugal and Champions League - having racked up 14 appearances already this season.

Given City like to play at times with three or even four central defenders, Diomande could fit in quite nicely amongst their current crop.

He's also more than comfortable in possession, maintaining a 95% pass accuracy per game in his domestic league this season while also averaging just shy of 90 touches every match.

While certainly one for the future, Diomande is a player to keep an eye on over the coming months.

Joshua Kimmich (Defender/Midfielder, Bayern Munich)

While the links seem quite obvious given Guardiola gave Kimmich his Bayern Munich debut in 2015, the versatile German has since gone on to become one of the world's best both at right-back and in central midfield - two areas where City could improve.

Kyle Walker has been an incredible servant to the club but only has 18 months remaining on his contract and at the age of 34 will need replacing sooner rather than later.

Youngster Rico Lewis looks primed to step into Walker's unique role but could be supported by Kimmich who is on paper a similar player.

The German's contract is expiring at the end of the season which means City could get him for free and at the age of 29 he could be a valuable addition to the squad for an immediate impact - while also paving the way for Lewis to eventually fulfil his enormous potential as well.

Perhaps Kimmich isn't the most likely signing discussed here but it's certainly one that makes sense and isn't outside the realms of possibility.

Martin Zubimendi (Midfielder, Real Sociedad)

No surprises here as Zubimendi is perhaps the most obvious signing for City to try to make following Rodri's long-term ACL injury, but just because it's obvious doesn't mean he shouldn't be mentioned.

The Spaniard was close to joining Liverpool in the summer but opted to stay with Real Sociedad in the final moments - although there have since been reports that he is ready to go back on that decision and make the jump to England.

Zubimendi has been a regular in LaLiga for the past five seasons and would nicely fill the defensive midfield void left in City's squad.

His attacking numbers aren't close to Rodri's but the 25-year-old can offer plenty in possession and defensively while also providing Guardiola with a fresh midfield option both immediately and for the long-term future.

Zubimendi averages four recoveries, over two interceptions and one tackle every game in LaLiga which could help with City's issues when defending against counter-attacks.

With Ilkay Gundogan's contract up in the summer of 2025 and the aforementioned injury to Rodri, bringing in Zubimendi could certainly benefit City's squad.

Rodrygo (Forward, Real Madrid)

Moving into the forward areas, Guardiola's side rely heavily on Erling Haaland for their goals - which is not a bad thing to do considering he scores a boatload, but the weight could be spread a bit better across the squad.

One potential addition could be Real Madrid winger Rodrygo.

The Brazilian is a ready-made attacker having featured over 200 times aged just 23 and his arrival could finally allow Phil Foden to maintain a central role rather than having him rotate across the forward line.

Rodrygo has scored 57 goals in his short career and while his national counterpart Savinho looks like an excellent prospect, the Madrid winger would be able to make an instant impact.

Yes, it might seem a bit of a stretch and he would certainly command a big fee but City have the money to spend and with a growlingly clustered attacking set-up at Madrid, the forward could welcome an opportunity to be a star at a different club.

When you also consider that Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne are into their 30s and have contracts expiring in 2026, it might be a smart move for Guardiola to look at building up his attacking options.

Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo would also present a cheaper albeit less glamorous alternative.

Viktor Gyokeres (Forward, Sporting)

Another glaringly obvious option would be Gyokeres - again from Sporting and much like our mention for Diomande is playing off the idea that Viana is arriving as Director of Football.

The Swede has netted a staggering 66 goals in 68 appearances for Sporting while also providing 19 assists since arriving from Coventry in 2023.

The main stumbling block with signing Gyokeres is that several components would need to fall into place for the move to be a success.

Star forward Haaland has no immediate deputy in the current City squad but the question is if he really needs one - would Gyokeres be willing to come in as second choice?

The answer is likely not and therefore some movement would be required if he were to join, although it seems that ever since Haaland has arrived in Manchester there have been reports linking him with a move to one of Europe's elite, mainly Real Madrid.

The second issue would be that pretty much every big club in the continent will be after Gyokeres come the transfer window and plenty of them will be able to offer instant first-team football.

That means City - and Guardiola - would need to find a solution to entice the striker into coming to the Etihad (without losing Haaland), but if it can be done then there is no better option to fill out their attacking depth.

Honourable mention: A new goalkeeper?

While not a priority as goalkeepers often play well into their thirties and Ederson has shown no signs of slowing down aged 31, the Brazilian's contract is up in 2026 and he is actually the youngest senior keeper at the club.

Ahead of him are Stefan Ortega (32) and Scott Carson (39).

That means City could dip into the market for a young shot-stopper if they feel the need to and can find an appropriate candidate.

Guillaume Restes presents a quality long-term option while City could even splash out on an established number one if they feel the need to.

Guardiola's side are next in action against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, November 23rd.