5 Players Manchester City Should Clear out in 2016 Summer Transfer Window

It feels like the start of a new era at Manchester City. After the disappointment of the last 18 months, which saw the team regress badly under Manuel Pellegrini, Pep Guardiola will now assume control and bring some much-needed enthusiasm to the role. Things had gone stale under Pellegrini, and City are in need of new direction.

They could hardly have done more than appoint the world’s most coveted manager. Guardiola is the man for whom players want to play, with 21 trophies accumulated already, including six league titles in seven seasons with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

He manages with intensity, and his teams play in a similar fashion, moving the ball at speed and pressing high. After the lethargy and disappointment of the Premier League campaign just passed, next season looks likely to be very different.

For Guardiola to achieve success at City, he needs to reshape the squad. It’s tired and lacking quality in certain areas. He will no doubt be finalising his plans over the coming days ahead of his official unveiling in July, with targets confirmed and a list of academy players he feels are close to the first team submitted.

But he must also agree on which players will depart, and there are a number of candidates. The average age of City’s squad is too high, and recouping some money for those Guardiola feels won’t play a significant role next season will provide him with additional money to spend on new recruits.

Here are five players who need clearing out ahead of the 2016/17 season.

1. Wilfried Bony

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It’s been almost painful to watch Wilfried Bony’s time at City. He joined from Swansea in January 2015 having been the Premier League’s top scorer in the previous calendar year. Expectations were high; it felt as though he had earned his chance to play for a trophy-chasing side.

But he’s been incompatible with City’s style. He doesn’t move well enough, and despite his obvious physicality, he doesn’t offer a target when City need to play an alternative way. He scored four goals in the league all season.

Guardiola often plays with a front two, and with Sergio Aguero clearly the club’s No. 1 striker and Kelechi Iheanacho providing support, a better version of Bony needs to be sought. A player with a physical presence and aerial threat would be ideal.

For Bony, he’s likely to get a good move. He proved at Swansea he’s a striker who can score goals and cause problems for defences at the highest level. He needs to play week in, week out in a side that plays to his strengths for his quality to be maximised.

It just hasn’t worked out for him at City.

2. Aleksandar Kolarov

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Aleksandar Kolarov, now 30, is in need of a move. He lost his place to Gael Clichy during the second half of last season and rarely showed his best form.

His display away at Southampton was appalling. With the exception of Iheanacho, no one in the City side impressed that day, but Kolarov was offensively bad, with his lack of tracking in the buildup to Southampton’s second goal one of the worst moments of defending you’ll likely ever see. The lack of desire was staggering.

He’s unlikely to have impressed the watching Guardiola, who wants full-backs with pace and energy but who defend with distinction. Kolarov, for the sake of his own career, should probably accept he needs to find a new club.

3. Pablo Zabaleta

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Pablo Zabaleta’s decline has been rapid. He’s gone from one of the finest attacking full-backs in Europe to a player who looks in need of a move in the space of 12 months.

Never the quickest, he’s lost a yard of pace and is now beaten way too easily, with his attacking quality and underlapping runs no longer a central part of his game.

He simply doesn’t appear to have the energy to produce his premium performance level.

No player is more beloved by the fans than Zabaleta—but all good things come to an end. He will likely be offered a role at City once his playing days are over, but for now, he should seek first-team football in a less demanding league.

4. Eliaquim Mangala

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Two seasons into his time at City and Eliaquim Mangala is no closer to finding the kind of consistency he needs. There’s a decent player in there somewhere, with his power, pace and athleticism perfect for a defender, but his lack of concentration and appreciation of the game is holding him back badly.

He also lacks poise on the ball, which surely rules him out of Guardiola’s plans. The Catalan wants his defenders to pass the ball, bring the ball out from the back and start attacks. It’s difficult to see Mangala adapting.

Recouping the £42 million fee City paid will be impossible if they do decide to cut their losses.

5. Willy Caballero

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Willy Caballero's time at City was in danger of passing without a single moment of distinction. That was put to bed when he produced three stunning penalty saves in the Capital One Cup final against Liverpool in March; his place in the pantheon of cult heroes is now assured. 

But it shouldn't mask his failings. Caballero has rarely looked good enough for City, despite arriving having established a solid reputation in La Liga. 

He doesn't deal with crosses and has moments of madness that undermine his performances. 

Guardiola is likely to want a new 'keeper to challenge Hart.