Man City set for changing of the guard as Pep's golden era comes to an end

That’s the view of Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison who believes the timid capitulation at Real Madrid in midweek confirmed the need for a ruthless rebuild at the Etihad, with some of the club’s star names now surplus to requirements.

“Kevin De Bruyne for me has been the best midfielder there is in world football. I love watching him. I think he's a fantastic player, but he's had a lot of injuries, so I can see him not being there [next season],” Morrison said.

“Bernardo Silva - there have been a lot of rumours about him - and Ilkay Gundogan as well. These sort of players; I just can't see them being there. Someone like Jack Grealish, too. You just think maybe he wants to go and play regular football elsewhere.

“There could be four or five that move on and then, you know, other players that they bring in. They're the four I think would move on, which would be disappointing because I like them.

“I think a lot of the players have had a bad season. A lot of things have caught up with them but those three or four players, I think, their time could be coming to an end at Man City.”

Crashing out of the Champions League means the FA Cup is now the only trophy up for grabs for Guardiola’s once all-conquering Blues. A top four finish is also to play for in what has been a disastrous season – by City’s supremely high standards.

League leaders Liverpool are next up for City in a Sunday afternoon kick-off in Manchester. A victory for the current champions – who sit in fourth place, a point above Nottingham Forest and Chelsea - would do much to lift the mood around the Etihad and put a dent in Liverpool’s title charge.

“It's a big game. Man City need to qualify for Champions League football because if they're going to attract players, players want to play Champions League football and it’s quite congested in the league table.

Morrison added: “I still think Liverpool is strong enough. They will probably win the Premier League, but it's opened it up now for Arsenal, and the game against Man City on the weekend is a big game and City are not going to roll over. It's going to be a fascinating game on Sunday.”

Read Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison’s blog:

https://www.freebets.com/news/clinton-morrison-on-manchester-city-leeds-title-chances-and-luke-williams-swansea-exit/