On 1st July 2021, Manchester City could begin life without Pep Guardiola, Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho, David Silva and Leroy Sane.
That is, of course, assuming that none of them extend their current deals at the Etihad, though there is little talk of any extensions right now and David Silva has confirmed he will leave the club this summer.
Whether Pep Guardiola leaves or not when his own contract expires in 2021 remains to be seen, but before then, he must face his biggest managerial challenge yet and rebuild his Manchester City side.
Indeed, though this season is already proving difficult as a result of injuries and the relative strength of Liverpool and the rest of the Premier League, Pep Guardiola faces three crunch transfer windows in which his actions will define the legacy he leaves behind.
For arguably the first time in his managerial career, Pep Guardiola is managing a team in transition. This is not to say he has never built a team, rather that he has never had to rebuild one.
At Barcelona between 2008-12, the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol and Lionel Messi were all entering or approaching their prime years. Guardiola created one of the best club sides in history during that period but left in 2012 when they were arguably at their peak.
After a year-long sabbatical, Guardiola joined Bayern Munich. Fresh from their own Champions League victory and with a squad oozing with quality in place already, the Bavarian club hoped Guardiola could lead a dynasty of German success in Europe, which never really materialised.
After three years of domination in the Bundesliga and disappointment in the Champions League, Pep joined Manchester City. Aside from a tumultuous debut campaign in which they finished third, City have been almost unstoppable under his tutelage.
198 points in two league seasons tells its own story, and Pep must rightly take a huge amount of the credit for the trophies won in that time.
Though he undeniably has more financial freedom than most managers could dream of, his purchases have more often than not been successful.
In recent years the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea have made high profile transfer failings with fees in excess of £50 million (Morata, Di Maria, etc.), but having spent over £20 million on 11 different players during Pep’s time at the Etihad, every single one has made a telling contribution to City over the last few years.
But with Sergio Aguero set to leave upon the expiration of his current deal in 2021, it is his replacement that could be one of the most important signings in the club’s history. Guardiola must also manage the increasingly difficult task of blooding youth while maintaining quality, with Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and any new signing set to compete fiercely for game time.
This is without even mentioning the FFP investigation looming over the club since May, with a Champions League ban a real possibility.
No one has ever doubted Pep Guardiola’s ability to build a team, but the next 18 months represents a huge challenge for the Spaniard to rebuild a City squad that will look very different in two years’ time.
