Who Should Be Manchester City's Priority in Contract Talks?

The summer is always a busy time for football clubs, particularly those looking to grow their brand around the world. Pre-season tournaments have grown exponentially in recent times, with cups and glamour friendlies now a staple of the biggest clubs’ preparations.

This summer, Manchester City will be incredibly busy. They will unveil coveted new manager Pep Guardiola, who signifies the the Citizens' biggest coup since the takeover of the club in 2008. There will be increased media interest, something the club will need to deal with as they enter the next exciting phase of their development under Sheikh Mansour. 

They are likely to unveil Guardiola in China, according to Simon Mullock of the Mirror, where they will play in the International Champions Cup. According to Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, a glamour tie with rivals Manchester United lies in wait.

Expect a couple of players to be presented to the media, too, as well as, perhaps, a new City Football Group (CFG) club based in China to go alongside their projects in New York and Melbourne. This is the fastest-growing organisation in football. Nothing can be ruled out.

In addition to all that, the summer is also a time for contract renewals to take place. The club have been exceptionally good at tying its players down to long-term contracts that are incentive-based and fair for both City and the player. It’s been at the heart of Txiki Begiristain’s work as sporting director and has provided much-needed stability that many other clubs lack.

Martin Demichelis’ contract will expire, and he is likely to leave the club on a free transfer.

His one-year extension, granted at the back end of the last season, felt like sensible business at the time, but his collapse in form this season has been sharp. He’s been a superb piece of business for the club, arriving from Atletico Madrid in 2013 for just £3.5 million and providing superb ball-playing ability from the back, as well as an acute reading of the game.

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

However, it's for him to depart, with a return to his homeland seeming increasingly likely. He’ll go having stamped his name on the club as a key part of City’s first-ever league-and-cup double.

The club’s priorities in terms of contract renewals, then, are likely to be Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho.

Aguero, 27, signed his last deal in 2014. It was a five-year agreement, but it’s understood he is currently in talks with City officials about an extension on improved terms, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian.

He's the club's most marketable player. No one in the City squad comes close to offering the same global appeal. Like it or not, the commercial side of the game is hugely important, and Aguero is considered a worldwide star, the kind who is pinned up on bedroom walls across the world and whose name and number adorn the replica shirts of young people who aspire to be like him.

He's hugely important off the field, and with the club desperate to grow their appeal on the world stage, they need their one genuine world-class big-name player to spend the best years of his career at the club. With Aguero, they have that chance.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

On the field, too, he continues to deliver. He has 21 goals in all competitions this season, despite suffering further injuries, with his form since the turn of the year showing he's back to his best. There are very few, if any, out-and-out strikers in the world who can match his brilliance.

If City can keep him settled—and all signs indicate he loves being at the club—then they will get the best out of him. It will be a huge priority for them to tie him down.

Fernandinho, 30, has been a hugely successful signing and has once again been one of City’s most consistent players this term.

He cost £30 million in the summer of 2013, arriving from Shaktar Donetsk with a big reputation but little experience playing football at the highest level. He’s a player who has looked as if he was made for the Premier League since his arrival.

Other than a shaky few months immediately after his difficult World Cup campaign in 2014, which saw him take a large slice of the blame for Brazil’s humiliating semi-final defeat to Germany in front of their home fans, he’s been absolutely superb for City.

Providing drive and energy from midfield, he contributes to the attack and defence, always exhibiting technical quality and a belief in his ability. He’s genuinely world class.

His initial deal was for four years, meaning he's tied down until the summer of 2017. Surely the club won't want him entering the final 12 months of his deal.

His stamina means he isn't like a typical 30-year-old. He has boundless energy, not to mention excellent ability.

His recent two-game stint on the right showed his wonderful ability. It doesn't seem to matter where he plays—and there's an argument to suggest he could end up at centre-half under Guardiola—he produces quality. That's what world-class footballers can do.

Jon Super/Associated Press

That said, he will be 32 in May 2017, when his current deal ends. With young players coming through and world-class players never far from City's radar, he may be phased out.

But tying him down to a deal now means, when they do decide to sell, he will at least have some resale value.

Stability at a football club is vital. Having players settled and on long contracts, provided their worthy of them, is necessary in creating a squad that's secure and happy. City have done well with that since Begiristain's appointment in October 2012, and it's a policy he will look to continue.

Expect some summer announcements.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and will be following the club from a Manchester base throughout the 2015/16 season. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @RobPollard_.