A club of Manchester City’s stature are likely to be looking at next year already to determine which players they can bring in.
Manchester City held a longstanding interest in signing Matheus Nunes, who they eventually brought in during the summer of 2023 — which shows that the Sky Blues are always looking at the bigger picture.
Ultimately, the English giants would be hoping to remain successful even after Pep Guardiola’s contract expires in 2027.
As a result, City cannot afford to simply live in the present.
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Man City should eye triggering Jamal Musiala’s release clause in 2026
A player who Manchester City have been linked heavily for years is Jamal Musiala. Musiala was on Manchester City’s wish list for this year but he ended up signing a contract extension with Bayern Munich until 2030 in February.
However, Sky Sports reported that the German international has a release clause worth €175 million (£151 million) that is valid between 2025 and 2029.
Gary Lineker dubbed Musiala as “incredible”, a sentiment Manchester City would agree with and come the summer of 2026, they should splash the cash to sign him.
While Pep Guardiola already has attacking midfielders in Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden at his disposal, the former Chelsea wonderkid has shown that he can operate as an inside forward for Germany.
Much like how Maximilian Mittelstädt hugs the touchline for Julian Nagelsman’s side to allow Musiala to drift into central areas from the left flank, Rayan Ait-Nouri could offer him the same degree of freedom at Manchester City.
The 22-year-old is the closest thing to Kevin De Bruyne across world football, being a terrific ball-carrier, adept at creating chances, scoring goals and being an all-round match-winner — amassing 103 goal involvements (64 goals and 39 assists) in 207 appearances for Bayern.
| JAMAL MUSIALA STATS FOR BAYERN MUNICH | |
| APPEARANCES | 207 |
| GOALS | 64 |
| ASSISTS | 39 |
De Bruyne is virtually irreplaceable for Manchester City but in Cherki, Foden and Musiala, they would have three tremendous attacking midfielders at their disposal capable of ushering Guardiola’s side into a new era.
City know better than most that premium quality leads to winning silverware and if a player of the five-time Bundesliga winner’s calibre is available for a fee, the very least they can do is have a stab at signing him.
Jamal Musiala’s record for Germany alongside Ilkay Gundogan
Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has raved about Musiala and alongside him for Germany, he has an excellent record.
| JAMAL MUSIALA AND ILKAY GUNDOGAN’S RECORD FOR GERMANY | |
| APPEARANCES | 27 |
| WINS | 14 |
| DRAWS | 9 |
| LOSSES | 4 |
| JOINT-GOAL PARTICIPATION | 2 |
Gundogan and Musiala have played together 27 times, winning 14, drawing nine and losing three games.
Even if the City legend departs the Etihad Stadium next season, his countryman has the potential to carry on the legacy of great German players donning sky blue.
