5 Things for Man City Fans to Look Forward to in 2015/16 Premier League Season

It may have been a somewhat disappointing season for Manchester City and their fans, but the club is in good health and there's plenty to look forward to in the coming years.

Financially, the club has never been more sound, and with their new £200 million state-of-the-art first team and academy facility now fully opened, the club's future is incredibly bright.

Manuel Pellegrini appears to have the backing of City's directors to see out the final year of his contract, so what can Blues fans look forward to in 2015/16? Here are five positives for the City supporters to consider.

1. A Reinvented Squad

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UEFA's financial fair play sanctions, which reduced the size of City's Champions League squad and restricted them to a £49 million net spend last summer, are set to be alleviated this year, meaning a sizeable outlay is likely during the next transfer window to reinvent their squad.

City's revenue has rocketed in the past 12 months, according to the club's official website. Their income for the 2013/14 period was £347 million, a £76 million increase on their 2012/13 figures.

They can once again compete for almost any player in the world.

Given the regression they showed in the season just gone, a heavy spend is likely. Their midfield needs shaping, with a deep-lying, tough-tackling playmaker, in the mould of Marco Verratti, very much lacking.

They also require pace in wide attacking areas, with Raheem Sterling, the Liverpool forward, likely to be high up their list of priorities.

2. Players Determined to Prove People Wrong

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Before new players are added to the equation, it's clear City's existing stars are going to come back from the close season with a point to prove.

They've taken heavy criticism this season, particularly since the turn of the year when their form imploded and derailed their title defence. There will be a determination to prove it was a blip rather than indicative of their ability.

The likes of Vincent Kompany, Edin Dzeko, Aleksandar Kolarov and Fernando have underwhelmed over the past nine months. The only way for them to make up for their deficiencies is to come back stronger in August and return to their best.

3. A Group of Talented Academy Players Knocking on the Door

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City also have a talented crop of young players desperate to make an impact on the first team.

Patrick Vieira's EDS side reached the UEFA Youth League quarter final and won the Premier League International Cup, while the U18s reached the FA Youth Cup final, losing to an impressive Chelsea side.

Producing young talent is now the club's No. 1 long-term strategy, and their new academy facility is a clear statement of their intent. Following the progress of their current young players over the next 12 months could be very interesting indeed.

Karim Rekik, Jason Denayer and Marcos Lopes have all enjoyed successful loan spells around Europe this year, and Brandon Barker, Angelino and Angus Gunn are constantly improving.

4. Sergio Aguero

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If there was one obvious bright spot for City during the 2014/15 season, it was the form of Sergio Aguero.

He scored 26 league goals and finished as the Premier League Golden Boot winner, and bagged 31 across all competitions—remarkable given his season was disrupted by niggling injuries.

He is now considered the finest out-and-out striker in Europe. The accuracy of his finishing and the speed he shows in and around the 18-yard box make him near-impossible to keep quiet. He's very often the difference in tight games, and it's clear City have the best forward in the league.

This is a player who has much more to give the City fans. 

5. An Improving Mangala and Bony

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Summer signing Eliaquim Mangala and January acquisition Wilfried Bony may have struggled to have the impact they would have liked last season, but both showed signs of significant improvement in the campaign's final weeks.

Mangala was let down early on in his City career by the inadequacies of his defensive teammates, and, as a result, he made a string of costly errors that saw him pilloried by the press. Nervousness set in and he looked uncomfortable for much of the season.

However, an injury to Kompany in the final weeks of the season saw Mangala play six straight games, and there was a clear improvement. His technique on the ball was much better, and his all-round game was more assured. He has some striking attributes, and next season will be a big one for the Frenchman.

And Bony, whose introduction to the side was delayed by his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations, suffered a couple of niggling injuries that disrupted his progress. Two goals from 11 appearances is far from what was expected.

The majority of those were cameo appearances, though. He made just two starts, but towards the end of the campaign he showed flashes of his quality: strength, hold-up play, vision and skill.

Both are likely to improve next season.