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Guardiola ready to bin off six Man City players in massive summer squad rebuild

Pep Guardiola is planning a major overhaul of his squad this summer, with the Manchester City manager preparing to axe as many as six first-team players at the Etihad.

The Premier League champions hopes of winning a third successive league title look all but over following an indifferent season thus far, whilst Liverpool’s relentless form at the top of the division has led to Guardiola considering his options at the end of the season.

According to the Mirror, the Spaniard is considering making major changes to his playing personnel, suggesting several of the club’s under-performing first-team stars face uncertain futures.

John Stones, Benjamin Mendy, Joao Cancelo, Nicolas Otamendi and Gabriel Jesus are amongst those who may be moved on, whilst doubts also remain over the long-term future of Leroy Sane who has long been linked with a move to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Centre-back duo Stones and Otamendi have both struggled for form and to convince Guardiola that they can be automatic starters, whilst Mendy’s poor injury record has restricted his ability to make an impact following a big-money move from Monaco.

Similarly, fellow full-back Cancelo has failed to impress since arriving from Juventus last summer, whilst Jesus could move on having failed to dislodge record goalscorer Sergio Aguero in the pecking order.

David Silva is already a confirmed departure and will bring a decade at the club to an end when his contract expires at the end of the season, whilst back-up goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is also out-of-contract and likely to move on.

Those departures will see significant investment needed to challenge once more, whilst a host of youth products including the likes of Phil Foden, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Eric Garcia could be handed increased opportunities.

Despite speculation linking Guardiola with an exit in recent times, the former Barcelona and Bayern coach is believed to remain committed to a summer rebuild as City look to return to the heights of previous seasons.

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