Man City 'to sell six starting players' in brutal overhaul of squad as Pep Guardiola gets ruthless

Pep Guardiola is in the midst of facing a rebuild of his Manchester City side and it is claimed that up to six regular starters could make way for new signings in the transfer market as part of a 'new era'.

City are currently going through the worst run of their time under Guardiola's management since the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss took over at the Etihad Stadium in 2016.

City have lost nine of their last 12 games in all competitions as their season has fallen apart after it appeared it was business as usual at the start of the campaign.

But following a 2-1 loss against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday and the rest of the weekend's action before Christmas, City slipped to seventh in the Premier League table.

City are now 12 points behind leaders Liverpool and, with Arne Slot's side also having a game in hand, it appears increasingly likely that City's defence of their Premier League title after winning the last four in a row will fall short.

Guardiola has won six top flight crowns, the Champions League, two FA Cups, four League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup during his time in charge of City, having created two great teams in that time.

Guardiola recently signed a contract extension which means he will stay at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2027, putting to bed any suggestions he might leave upon the expiration of his previous deal at the end of this season.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. (Image: Getty)

However, with the poor form on the pitch, it is likely Guardiola will need that time to create a third City team of his tenure, with several key players in the latter stages of their careers.

Midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne are 34 and 33 respectively and their contracts expire at the end of this season, while defender and captain Kyle Walker is also 34 now and his deal will have 12 months left to run on it from next summer.

Now, respected Spanish football journalist and expert Guillem Balague has outlined that Guardiola's overhaul could see five or six starters in the current City team be replaced in the transfer market as part of a 'new era' for the club, though he does not name which players the Blues boss will be seeking to change.

Speaking to the Daily Record, Balague said: "They want to recover the essence of the team, the look of the team. But quite clearly Pep Guardiola is going to use the last two years of his contract - which are probably be the last two of his career as a club manager - to prepare a new Manchester City.

"I have got a very clear idea that they will want to get rid of five or six regular starters for Manchester City and bring five or six new starters. Half of the team. It is a new era. The end of this one and a new era starting.

"The cycle is over but remember that only a month-and-a-half ago they had not lost a game and were top of the table. But that in my eyes is what is happening. That is what they are going to do next."