Pep Guardiola has faced the first reconstruction of his career this year. Until now, the Catalan coach had worked at Barcelona and Bayern in a previous stage. Four years at Camp Nou and three at Allianz Arena, building the squad and changing teams when he felt the dressing room couldn't give more. At Manchester City, it has been different, and in 2025, the months of squad renewal have arrived, with the definitive departure of Kevin De Bruyne as a turning point.
When he arrived in 2016, Guardiola began a journey of almost a decade that peaked with the conquest of the Champions League in 2023, the culmination of his dynasty in Manchester. He had signed players and evolved his squad until lifting the 'big-eared' trophy, and the defeat against Madrid in the penalty shootout in the 23-24 Champions League quarter-finals was the moment chosen by Pep to assess his future. It was seen as the end of a cycle, rumors of the coach's departure spread, and finally, after several discussions with City's leaders, the one from Santpedor decided to embark on a new stage at the Etihad.
A stage that since January 2025, and especially after the defeat against Madrid in the continental playoff and how far the team has fallen behind in the Premier League race against Liverpool (thirteen points behind), has entered a new dimension.
City has spent 342 million since the beginning of the year on eight signings, and seven of them are key players in the team that is shining in this Club World Cup. Just before the tournament, they paid 55 for Reijnders, a midfielder from Milan; 36.80 for Ait-Nouri, a left-back from Wolverhampton, and 36.50 for Cherki, an attacking midfielder from Lyon. All three have had playing time and have been starters in some matches. Additionally, they signed Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea as the third goalkeeper for 2 million.
Alongside them, the four players signed in January: Marmoush, a forward from Eintracht who cost 75 million; Nico González, for whom they paid 60 to Porto; Khusanov from Lens, who arrived in exchange for 40; and Brazilian center-back Vitor Reis from Palmeiras, landed in Manchester for 37 million. All of them have had minutes in the United States.
Additionally, Guardiola has young talents Savinho, signed last summer from Girona, and Echeverri, for whom they paid River Plate a year ago and has joined upon reaching the age of majority. Ten young players to rebuild a team that in the last couple of years has bid farewell to De Bruyne, Walker, Mahrez, and Cancelo, and has sidelined Grealish awaiting an exit.
The British team is the only one to have won all three group stage matches, and in the last match, they scored five goals against Juventus, Real Madrid's opponent in the round of 16. This upcoming night, they will face Al Hilal for a spot in the quarter-finals.