Joao Cancelo sets Man City contract renewal mission in motion and Bernardo Silva is next in line

All the talk of late has been about Manchester City signing promising Argentinian striker Julian Alvarez, but away from the transfer market the Blues have been busy making sure their current stars remain at the Etihad Stadium for years to come.

On Tuesday City announced that Joao Cancelo has signed a new five-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2027. The Portuguese full-back is the latest of Pep Guardiola's players to pen a lengthy extension over the past 12 months, following in the footsteps of Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Ruben Dias, Ederson and Liam Delap.

The question now is, who's next? Taking into account the time remaining on current deals and their importance to the team, City Is Ours ranked some of City's stars in order of priority.

Riyad Mahrez has 18 months left on his current deal, but while he is an important member of Guardiola's squad and is a key source of goals, he may not have many years ahead of him in City's best XI.

At 30 years old Mahrez is one of City's older attackers, and with Alvarez and Cole Palmer set to provide competition for the right-wing spot in the coming years, it might not be wise to offer the Algerian a long-term deal. A shorter-term deal might be the answer.

Gabriel Jesus' current deal also expires in June 2023. The Brazilian has contributed a lot as both a striker and a winger over the past five years, but he cannot claim to be a crucial player for City.

That said, he is one of the Blues' hardest workers and is a versatile attacker who Guardiola clearly likes. At 24 years old he still has a lot more to give.

Raheem Sterling's time at City looked to be coming to an end last year, as poor form and tensions with Guardiola sparked rumours of a move to Barcelona.

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