Everything You Need to Know About Pep Guardiola's Summer Overhaul

Pep Guardiola is heading into the biggest summer of his managerial career, with a plan to completely reshape Manchester City's playing squad.

He always knew City would allow him the chance to build a team, to bring in huge signings and to create a brand of football that could revolutionise the Premier League.

But he never expected the task to be quite this big.

At the end of this season, he will spend the summer months putting together a side that really can push City to a level where they can compete with elite clubs chasing UEFA Champions League glory.

Guardiola is a man who enjoys testing himself, and he will be given all the time he needs to pull off this masterplan.

But certainly in England, his reputation is on the line among watchers of the game.

The beauty he created at Barcelona and Bayern Munich needs to be recreated at the Etihad Stadium if he is to prove he is the most forward-thinking, successful coach in the modern world.

So what happens next? I have been speaking to contacts close to the club to find out exactly what we should expect from the great Manchester City squad overhaul.

The Summer Clearout

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There are 16 first-team players under genuine threat of leaving the club before the next chapter of Project Guardiola kicks off.

Let's start by looking at the players out of contract: Jesus Navas, Yaya Toure, Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna and Willy Caballero. I am informed that no advanced talks are ongoing with these six players and that it is fair to assume all will leave.

Young defender Tosin Adarabioyo, who played in the Champions League and the EFL Cup, is another whose contract is winding down. 

Moving on to the players currently out on loan: Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri and Wilfried Bony.

None of these players has a future at the club. The big question is: How much can City raise for them through transfer funds, given an outlay of more than £84 million was spent on the three outfield players alone?

Immediately we have a list of 10 players who will struggle to remain at the club, and now we must look for first-team members who are not part of the forward plan.

I am told the club will look to offload both Fabian Delph and Fernando, while Vincent Kompany is likely to leave, too. Guardiola has had concerns about the Belgian defender since arriving in Manchester.

Aleksandar Kolarov is not trusted as a full-back under this regime and will be available if a fair offer arrives, while forward Kelechi Iheanacho will seek reassurance about his role.

That long list of 16 players does not even include Sergio Aguero, who will surely become frustrated if Gabriel Jesus returns and takes his spot again.

The Goalkeeper Crisis

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When Claudio Bravo joined City, he was expected to become the long-term No. 1, but it hasn't worked out.

The club are genuinely looking at the prospect of finding a new man to become first choice between the sticks. It is unlikely, though not impossible, that Bravo will leave this summer—but he will get no guarantees about his role.

The club are actively pursuing a new goalkeeper in the knowledge that both Caballero and Hart are likely to leave before next season.

The name being touted to arrive is Benfica's highly rated 23-year-old keeper Ederson, according to Portuguese outlet Record (in Portuguese). He has kept 14 clean sheets from 20 league matches this season.

Positions to Be Filled

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The top priority is pretty clear: City need full-backs.

Zabaleta, Clichy, Sagna and Kolarov are not up to the high expectations Guardiola has of a modern-day player, and one source told me it would not be a surprise if four new faces arrive to cover the positions on the left and right side of defence this summer.

A new centre-half is possible, too, while Guardiola's scouts have been reporting back regularly on central-midfield options.

Ilkay Gundogan will make a huge impact when he returns from injury, but if Toure leaves, I am told City believe they will still need another player capable of controlling the centre of the park.

Cash to Spend

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Cash will obviously be raised through player sales, but initial indications are that a £150 million budget will be made available for transfer fees.

Club officials realise they need to recruit some home-grown players, so they can expect to pay over the odds for one or two faces. But there is also a feeling they can still find value in the market.

Part of the lure of joining City was that Guardiola would work with director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano. The trio worked together at Barcelona and have complete faith in each other's ability to identify individuals who can enhance the setup.

Begiristain's record at City has not been overly impressive as big-name signings like Mangala, Bony, Delph and Otamendi have failed to live up to expectations, but he will still be trusted to help make future additions.

As part of the squad reshape, Guardiola will also promote three or four players from the Academy to provide depth. Guardiola does not just want the youth-team products in the squad, he wants them playing matches.

Brahim Diaz, Phil Foden and Paolo Fernandes are three names worth looking out for.

The Transfer Targets

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A quick count shows that City have been linked with more than 40 players since the January window closed, evidence of just how much of a shake-up journalists are expecting to take place at the club in the coming months.

As soon as AS Monaco beat City in the Champions League, it sparked speculation that a string of names from the Ligue 1 side could soon head to England. Kylian Mbappe, Fabinho, Thomas Lemar, Bernardo Silva, Benjamin Mendy, Djibril Sidibe and Tiemoue Bakayoko have all been linked with a switch to the Etihad Stadium.

Sources have told me that extravagant links to AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, Tottenham Hotspur's Dele Alli, Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi can all be dismissed for now.

Names that could still be realistic signings are defenders Jose Gaya and Cedric Soares, but links to Dani Alves and Hector Bellerin would prove out of reach.

The inside word on Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain? Don't laugh them off just yet.

Likely Arrivals

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Two names that stand out from those mentioned among the transfer rumours are those of Benjamin Mendy of Monaco and Tottenham's Danny Rose.

The full-back recruitment is going to take priority, and I have been told that intermediaries are working hard on the possibility of Mendy making the switch, while a £50 million pursuit of Rose should not be ruled out either. There is a feeling that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy could be persuaded to sell—if he can land Manchester United's Luke Shaw.

The need for homegrown talent is clear, and that is why Ben Gibson and Michael Keane are considered good options at centre-half.

In central midfield, William Carvalho of Sporting CP has long been expected to make the move—but I am told the club may have now moved on to other options.

There could be more of a Spanish influence on signings than has been mentioned before now.

The club's hierarchy has confidence in scouting players from the area, and it is likely the club are already monitoring certain talent under the radar. There is a belief City can find good value among players plying their trade in La Liga.