Man City lack of transfer deadlines adds to squad uncertainty for tour

Manchester City depart for their summer tour on Wednesday and all eyes will be fixed on the list of players who make the plane.

This year is especially interesting given the swirl of speculation around the multiple first team stars that want to leave, with Riyad Mahrez and Kyle Walker reported to be especially close to the exit door. The club hardly downplayed the idea of uncertainty at the Etihad by taking the unusual decision not to publish any content from the return to training on Monday, with the players also staying silent on social media.

And even if there are some omissions from the touring squad, it is unlikely that either the club or any wantaway stars are going to take the nuclear option. City respect their players to be adult about their futures and in return expect them to stay professional for as long as they are under contract.

Pep Guardiola has not had a problem with taking players on tour who either he or they have decided have no future at the club. Joe Hart travelled in 2018 two years on from effectively being booted out of the first team, while Oleksandr Zinchenko was in the United States with City last year before making his way to Arsenal.

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It would not inconvenience Walker one bit to go on tour with City if he is set on a move to Bayern, given the teams play each other in Tokyo next week. Fly out on one plane and go back on another, with no restriction on luggage.

Of course, every club wants to have all of their transfer business done as early as possible and well in time for pre-season in order to give the new signings the best chance possible to adapt into a new environment. The reality is though that it is rarely