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Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, 33, is out of contract this summer and has yet to discuss a new deal.

Star striker Erling Haaland's decision to sign a 10-year contract last week was an unexpected coup for City and a huge morale boost for all connected with the club, but there remains so much uncertainty around the Etihad.

Guardiola's future remains the subject of speculation despite signing his own contract extension in November, City have lost their magic touch in the transfer market, opponents have lost their fear of Guardiola's once-formidable team, and the club are seeing homegrown players (including Cole Palmer and Liam Delap) exceed expectations with their new teams after perhaps being offloaded too soon.



Pep Guardiola and Man City have won everything there is to win since he joined the club in 2016, but is their time at the top coming to an end? Clive Rose/Getty Images

Every generation has a dominant team, but the empires built by Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s and Sir Alex Ferguson's winning machine at Manchester United were both eventually brought down and overtaken by rivals.

But despite a Champions League win under Rafael Benitez in 2005, it took the appointment of Jurgen Klopp in 2015 to provide the catalyst for the club to finally return to the summit of the English game.

Manchester United: The damaging post-Ferguson years

Manchester United's 6-1 defeat against Manchester City at Old Trafford in October 2011 was the biggest loss, home or away, since Ferguson took charge in November 1986.

United went into the game as reigning champions, having won a 12th Premier League title in 18 years, but City were an emerging force under Roberto Mancini and they humiliated United at Old Trafford with goals from Mario Balotelli (2), Edin Dzeko (2), Sergio Aguero and David Silva -- three of City's goals came after the 89th minute.

"It looked humiliating, but it was actually self-annihilation," Ferguson wrote in his 2013 autobiography.

"Of all the setbacks I endured, nothing compared to losing the league to City," Ferguson said.

Ferguson was able to wrestle the title back a year later in his final season -- though United haven't won the title since -- but the 6-1 defeat was when the rot set in.

"But I always enjoyed them because I know that David has two great qualities: He is straight, and he always puts Manchester United first."

Gill was replaced by United's commercial director, Ed Woodward, who oversaw a period of lavish signings as the club tried to spend their way out of the slump -- Paul Pogba (£89.3m), Romelu Lukaku (£75m), Angel Di Maria (£59.7m) -- and the appointment of four managers in five years including Champions League winners Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho -- before he left his role as executive vice chairman in January 2022.

Under Woodward, United spent more than £1 billion on new signings and over £40m in severance packages to fired managers David Moyes, Van Gaal, Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Chasing a Premier League/FA Cup double a year after defeating United at Wembley in the second part of their Premier League/FA Cup/Champions League treble, Guardiola's side were beaten by their neighbours, who had just recorded their lowest-ever Premier League (8th).

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How Man City's 2025 transfers can prevent a falloff

Rob Dawson says the transfer moves Manchester City make in 2025 will decide if they continue to be a Premier League title contender or not.

Having been so dominant on the domestic scene, City's defeat against a much weaker opponent highlighted a frailty that others would then expose more regularly.
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