Savinho, Trafford and Gonzalez among City players weighing summer exits

Manchester City’s summer transfer activity will be defined as much by departures as arrivals, with several squad players reassessing their futures under incoming manager Enzo Maresca after a season in which Pep Guardiola largely settled on a fixed starting eleven.

Savinho is the most prominent name in the balance. Tottenham have registered interest in the 22-year-old Brazilian winger for a second consecutive summer, and City have not immediately dismissed the approach as they did twelve months ago. A difficult campaign — capped by his omission from Brazil’s 55-man World Cup longlist — has raised questions about his long-term fit at the Etihad. With Jeremy Doku enjoying his best season and January signing Antoine Semenyo adding further competition on the flanks, Savinho must decide whether he wants to compete for a place under Maresca or seek regular football elsewhere.

James Trafford’s situation is more nuanced. The 23-year-old goalkeeper was displaced as first-choice after just three league games yet managed to preserve his market value through strong cup performances, including two trophy-winning appearances at Wembley. He also earned a place in England’s World Cup squad as third-choice keeper. Trafford has long harboured ambitions of being a number-one goalkeeper at club level and has attracted interest from clubs in England and Europe. However, his previously close relationship with Maresca — the pair worked together in City’s academy — may give him reason to reconsider before making a final decision.

Nico Gonzalez experienced the sharpest decline of any City player this season. He made 15 consecutive starts in the opening months of the campaign, more than any other squad member, but his form deteriorated sharply and he was eventually left out of matchday squads altogether by the end of the season. That trajectory makes his position at the club difficult to sustain heading into a new managerial era.

The broader picture is that Guardiola’s reluctance to rotate during the run-in left a number of players with minimal game time and personal frustration to carry into the off-season. How many of those players choose to push for a move will significantly shape how active City are in the market over the coming months. January arrivals Marc Guehi and Semenyo have already simplified some decisions by embedding themselves in the starting lineup, but the club’s summer business remains heavily contingent on the choices made by those on the periphery.