Man City: Guardiola starts the preseason with signings and ambition at the Club World Cup

Guardiola Resets Manchester City Project at Club World Cup

BOCA RATON, Florida – After conquering the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2023, Pep Guardiola declared that he had “closed a chapter.” Now, with the tournament back, the Catalan coach seeks a new beginning for Manchester City, marking the start of the 2025-26 season. After 18 months since his emotional speech in Jeddah, Guardiola has reiterated the importance of this new cycle. The team, gathered in Florida, has received the message: this tournament in the United States represents a new beginning and must be treated as such.

“As defending champions coming into this new format, of course we are very excited. We are very excited to come as champions,” said Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

Khaldoon Al Mubarak

The City has taken measures to ensure this new beginning. Key players like Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, and Kalvin Phillips are not on the team. In addition, important signings have been finalized, including Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Aït-Nouri, and Marcus Bettinelli, with an investment exceeding 100 million pounds. The special FIFA transfer window for the Club World Cup, from June 1st to 10th, allowed the club to accelerate the incorporation of new talents. The intention is that the coexistence and intensive training help the new players to adapt quickly, preparing for the start of the Premier League season in August.

Sources close to the club suggest that the movements in the transfer market may not be over, and Guardiola will evaluate the performance at the Club World Cup to decide on new signings. The possible departure of Walker, and the interest in Andrea Cambiaso, open the door to new options in defense. Guardiola has called up 27 players for the Club World Cup. The absence of Mateo Kovacic, due to an injury, has been notable. The coach has expressed his desire to avoid a large squad and has questioned the continuity of some players who have traveled to the United States. Vitor Reis, John Stones, and Ilkay Gündogan, among others, could be on their way out. Stones and Gündogan, along with other key players, are in the last year of their contracts. The team’s renewal, started in January and continued in June, could continue in the future. The changes don’t just affect the players. The coaching staff has also undergone modifications, with the arrival of Pepijn Lijnders, former assistant to Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool, and James French, as a set-piece coach. Kolo Touré, who works with the youth team, is also part of Guardiola’s team in the United States. The coach’s objective is for his players to move the ball with greater speed, drawing inspiration from the performance of Paris Saint-Germain. Fans could see a more dynamic City next season. The preparation for the Club World Cup has been meticulous. City staff visited the training ground in October, December, and March. All matches are being treated as if they were Champions League games.

Although there was initial skepticism about the new tournament, competitiveness has prevailed. Phil Foden has expressed the team’s desire to be the first to win the new trophy.

“It’s definitely a bit of that, yes. Obviously, speaking to some of the lads, we’ve spoken about that, being the first to the trophy would be nice. So that’s definitely the aim, and with the players we’ve got and the quality we’ve got in the team, I’m pretty sure we’re more than capable of doing it,” said Phil Foden.

Phil Foden

Guardiola is “happy and relaxed” before the first match against Wydad AC of Morocco. He seeks to take advantage of the Club World Cup to clear the clouds and lead the team towards a brighter future.