Manchester City had an eventful transfer window this summer, and they will look to make amends after a disappointing 2024/25 campaign.

Pep Guardiola’s side failed to win a major trophy last season, and they were quite disappointing in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. They had multiple weaknesses they needed to sort out during the summer transfer window, and they have managed to plug most of those gaps.

Manchester City struggled to control games in the middle of the park, and they struggled in the absence of Rodri as well. In addition to that, they looked vulnerable in the goalkeeping department. Furthermore, with Kevin De Bruyne leaving the club on a free transfer earlier this summer, they needed to replace the iconic midfielder as well.

Manchester City signed Reijnders from AC Milan to add greater control in the middle of the park, and the Netherlands international has been outstanding so far. His performances have been top-notch, and he will look to continue his impressive start to life in the Premier League.

The midfielder is at the peak of his powers, and he will be delighted with the way he has adapted to the Premier League so far. He could prove to be a real bargain for Manchester City in the long run.

As a replacement for De Bruyne, Manchester City invested in Rayan Cherki and Sverre Nypan. Cherki was outstanding for Lyon last season, and he was one of the best playmakers in French football. He did quite well in pre-season, and he will be hoping to make his mark in the Premier League. Currently, he is sidelined with an injury, and it will be interesting to see if you can return quickly and make a defining impact.

Nypan is highly rated across Europe, and he is a promising young talent for the bright future. Guardiola might be able to groom him into a future star.

In the goalkeeping department, Manchester City signed one of the best players in the world in Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian helped PSG win the league title and the UEFA Champions League last season. His performances were outstanding in the European competition. He has been a star for club and country in recent seasons. There is no doubt that he would be an exceptional alternative to Ederson Moraes.

Manchester City have a talented under study in James Trafford as well. He was outstanding in the championship last season, and he has the qualities to establish himself as one of the best keepers in the Premier League.

Manchester City had to use makeshift options in the full-back department last season, and they have solved that problem to some extent by signing Rayan Ait-Nouri. He is well settled in the Premier League, and he should be able to make an instant impact. He will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.

Ins and Outs

Arrivals

• Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan for £46.3 million.
• Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves for £31.2 million.
• Rayan Cherki from Lyon for £35 million.
• James Trafford from Burnley for £27 million.
• Gianluigi Donnarumma from PSG for £26 million.
• Sverre Nypan from Rosenborg for £12.5 million.
• Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea (undisclosed fee).

Departures

• James McAtee to Nottingham Forest for £30 million.
• Yan Couto to Borussia Dortmund for £26 million.
• Ederson to Fenerbahce for £12 million.
• Maximo Perrone to Como for £11.2 million.
• Kyle Walker to Burnley for £5 million.
• Kevin De Bruyne to Napoli (free transfer).
• Ilkay Gundogan to Galatasaray (free transfer).
• Scott Carson (end of contract).
• Tai Sodje (released).
• Jayden Lienou to Leeds (undisclosed fee).
• True Grant to Stoke (undisclosed fee).
• Callum Doyle to Wrexham for £7.5 million.
• Farid Alfa-Ruprecht to Bayer Leverkusen for £5 million.
• Kayky to Bahia (undisclosed fee).
• Jacob Wright to Norwich City for £2.3 million.

Loan Moves

• Vitor Reis to Girona (season-long loan).
• Jack Grealish to Everton (season-long loan with £50 million option to buy).
• Manuel Akanji to Inter (€2 million season-long loan with €15 million option to buy, mandatory based on criteria).
• Claudio Echeverri to Bayer Leverkusen (season-long loan).
• Sverre Nypan to Middlesbrough (season-long loan).
• Juma Bah to Nice (season-long loan).
• Mahamadou Susoho to Livingston (season-long loan).
• Jahmai Simpson-Pusey to Celtic (season-long loan).
• Finley Burns to Reading (season-long loan).
• Divin Mubama to Stoke (season-long loan).
• Max Alleyne to Watford (season-long loan).
• Tomas Galvez to SC Cambuur (season-long loan).
• Joel Ndala to Hull (season-long loan).
• Oliver Whatmuff to Rochdale (season-long loan).
• Lakyle Samuel to Bromley (season-long loan).
• Will Dickson to Chesterfield (short-term loan).
• Issa Kabore to Wrexham (season-long loan).

Marquee Signing

Gianluigi Donnarumma

The Italian International is undoubtedly the marquee signing for Manchester City this summer. The Italian international is a bona fide world-class player, and he has won major trophies in his career.

The former AC Milan wonderkid has proven himself for club and country, and he could make a defining impact. The importance of having a world-class goalkeeper can never be understated. He could prove to be crucial in their pursuit of major trophies this season.

Value For Money Signing

Rayan Cherki

The technically gifted French International has shown his quality in Ligue 1, and he has the potential to develop into a top-class player. Signing a player of his quality for a fee of around £35 million could represent excellent business in the long run. He has the attributes to develop into a world-class player.

The transfer could look like a masterstroke in the long run if he manages to fulfil his potential with Manchester City and adapt to the Premier League quickly.

Inevitable Departure

Jack Grealish

Manchester City paid around £100 million to sign the player from Aston Villa, but he never quite managed to live up to the expectations. His time at the club has been plagued by inconsistency. He was one of the finest young midfielders in the Premier League when he joined the club, but he never really managed to fulfil his potential with Manchester City. It was always inevitable that Manchester City would let him leave the club.

The midfielder has now joined Everton on loan, and he has been quite impressive for them in the opening games of the season. It will be interesting to see if he can get his career back on track with regular football in Merseyside.

The Big Miss

Adam Wharton

The Crystal Palace midfielder has been linked with a move to Manchester City in recent months, but they never really managed to get the deal done. He could’ve been the ideal partner for Rodri. In the absence of the Spanish international, Manchester City have looked vulnerable defensively, and they have struggled to control games. Signing the England International could have solved that problem.

It will be interesting to see if Manchester City can cope with just one reliable defensive midfielder at their disposal. They will be competing in multiple tournaments, and they need to rotate the squad. Wharton would have been the icing on the cake for them.

Verdict – 7/10

It has been an impressive window for Manchester City, but they still failed to address two of their key weaknesses. They needed a quality right back and a reliable defensive midfielder. They have not been able to replace Kyle Walker so far, and they really struggled during the injury blow to Rodri. Not having quality additions in those positions could prove to be costly as the season progresses.