It’s largely been a case of out with the old and in with the new this summer at Manchester City. There is a sense of evolution every year at the Etihad as Pep Guardiola continues to develop his dynasty, but this summer has felt a little different.
Aymeric Laporte (29), Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gundogan (both 32) have all departed and brought the average age of the squad down somewhat.
All three were major cogs in the machine that churned out continual Premier League titles during this era of dominance. The Treble was won in a single season but it was built across many years.
A lot of the experience honed in those previous campaigns that led to the triple crown will not be as readily at hand this time around. READ MORE: Jeremy Doku declares ambitions after £55m Man City transfer Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Kyle Walker are perhaps the only players who could be classed as mainstays, stars who were there in the early stages of Guardiola’s reign.