Manchester City Set July 28 Internal Deadline to Reduce Squad Ahead of 2025/26 Season

Following Kyle Walker’s transfer to Burnley, Manchester City are now under pressure to reduce their first-team squad ahead of the start of pre-season on July 28, with a current total of 28 senior players deemed excessive by manager Pep Guardiola.

The club began their summer business early by signing Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Rayan Cherki, but with Kevin De Bruyne, Scott Carson, and now Walker departing, director of football Hugo Viana must now focus on outgoings.

Guardiola, who has long maintained his preference for working with smaller squads, made his stance clear earlier this year. “I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay,” he told club officials in May. With Phillips, Grealish, McAtee and Kovacic either injured or likely to leave, the next few weeks are critical.

Squad Management Challenges

• Current senior squad size: 28 players
•  Key internal deadline: July 28 (pre-season training begins)
• Players for sale: Kalvin Phillips, Jack Grealish, James McAtee
•  Guardiola prefers a tight squad of ~22–24 players

Guardiola’s discomfort with large squads stems from his desire to maintain focus and morale. Leaving several players out of matchday squads creates a discontented bench, which can disrupt team harmony.

FAQ

• Why July 28?
  It marks the beginning of a key three-week training block leading into the new campaign, including a friendly against Palermo.
• What complicates the exits?
  Injuries (Phillips, Kovacic) and underperformance (Grealish) make permanent deals harder to secure quickly.
• Could City miss the deadline?
  Yes, though the official transfer window ends September 1, the internal aim is readiness by pre-season.

Conclusion

City’s internal squad deadline of July 28 underscores their desire to give Guardiola the focused, lean squad he needs. The challenge now lies in offloading fringe players swiftly, or risk an imbalanced start to their Premier League defence.