Man City may have to repeat bruising Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne transfer calls
Something at Manchester City has to give.
Pep Guardiola ended last season playing down the idea of change in his squad, talking about how nearly all of his players were still under contract and don't want to leave. As of last week, he was admitting that they need a smaller squad.
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"I would love to have the players we have right now all season, I would love it. I don't have any complaints about the behaviour of the players," he said.
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"But they will be unhappy, they will be sad. They will be disappointed, I don't want that.
"It's not a problem for me, I can have more players to select from - but I don't like having five, six or seven players at home if there's no injuries.
"I don't do it for me, it's for them. That's why we have to see what happens, we still have a long time until the transfer window is closed and we'll see what happens."
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Some of that will come in a few of the younger players being loaned out, yet that cannot make up the numbers to make players and the manager happy. More is needed, and that means some big decisions that may not go down very well with players who have given the club a lot.
Guardiola could not confirm that Ilkay Gundogan will stay amid interest from Galatasaray, yet the German has been very clear on more than one occasion since the end of the season that he wants to remain in Manchester. Those close to him point to him being needed so much last year that he automatically triggered a contract extension, and had no word before the end of the season that he was going to be moved on.
John Stones is vulnerable in defence after missing large chunks of another season with injury, yet he has spoken at the Club World Cup about wanting to stay. "I'm here, I want to stay here, I love it," he said. "I'm here to help, and I don't know what's been said or speculated but I hope that kind of shuts it down."
Both players have earned their place in the hearts of City fans for everything they have given to the club since arriving in 2016 and neither wants to go, so if the club wants to move them on they will have to force the issue.
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City have of course been here before, with players who were even more decorated. Back in 2021 the brutal call was made to move Sergio Aguero on when he felt he still had more to give, and it was a prickly few final months for Kevin De Bruyne this spring when he didn't get the contract decision he was expecting.
It was uncomfortable for many seeing club greats not being allowed to leave on their own terms, but no player is bigger than the club and sometimes those tough calls have to be made. How City go about culling their squad, and how much upset they are willing to risk, will say a lot about the size of the rebuild that has swept through the club this year.
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