Manchester City's defense is undergoing a revamp; Stones and Aké are set to leave this summer, while City aims to sign Guehi in the winter window.

Football revolves around finances; wealth alone doesn’t assure victory, but without funds, success and multiple championships are out of reach. Manchester City is a financially strong Premier League club, with Guardiola as an elite manager. The club’s hierarchy will back all of Guardiola’s tactical recruitment demands. Following the £64 million acquisition of Semenyo in the winter for the attack, Guardiola intends to overhaul the defense.

According to The Athletic’s transfer report, after this season concludes, Manchester City will see two key defenders depart during the summer window: Stones, who has become injury-prone, and Aké, who struggles to get playing time.

The 31-year-old English defender Stones is valued at €18 million by Transfermarkt and is currently recovering from injury. His contract expires at the end of this season. Stones was a core player during City’s treble-winning era, but now, due to his fragile fitness, he can no longer contribute effectively. Both parties will not renew his contract after it ends.

The 30-year-old Dutch defender Aké, also valued at €18 million, has made 11 Premier League appearances this season but only started 3 times, totaling just 395 minutes on the pitch. Aké has become a rotational player for City. His contract runs until the summer of 2027, making this summer an ideal opportunity for City to sell him. Clubs like Inter Milan have shown interest in Aké.

Manchester City’s defense is severely impacted by injuries, with Ruben Dias and Gvardiol both sidelined. Gvardiol’s injury is serious, and he is expected to return only by the end of the season. Therefore, Guardiola hopes to sign Crystal Palace captain and 25-year-old English defender Guehi in the winter window. City faces multiple competitions this season and trails league leaders Arsenal by six points. The Blues will continue to fight, but signing an immediate-impact defender in winter to cover for the injured Gvardiol is essential.

Note: Both Stones and Aké hold English registration (including those trained in the UK), so City’s top priority is to secure Guehi, who also holds English registration.