Man City may have to break another transfer rule to solve £51m issue

Amid all the positives that came with it, Ilkay Gundogan's return to Manchester City was not good news for at least two members of the current squad.

Matheus Nunes and James McAtee are both trying to prove themselves under Pep Guardiola yet will find their minutes threatened by the arrival of a player who has not only been there and done it all but showed last season in a new league that his standards are still sky-high. When it came to turning to the bench on Saturday against Ipswich, it was Gundogan who got the nod first.

If you're reading into these things, both Nunes and McAtee could feel that they would or could have been that change a week earlier. And if you're Nunes, you're probably not happy either that McAtee was introduced alongside you later in the game as a substitute.

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While City may not have the biggest squad, everyone in it needs to feel that they can make meaningful contributions. With so much competition for those midfield roles, Gundogan's return may well have left the sense that there is one too many.

McAtee would not be short of interest if he pushed for a move - Chelsea led the way earlier in the summer despite Guardiola being insistent to Txiki Begiristain that the youngster be kept - but more intriguing is Atletico considering a move for Nunes. City haven't received any offer yet, although any proposal is expected to be a loan rather than a permanent sale.

The player himself must decide what he wants for the season, weighing up the challenge of getting minutes at City in an environment he knows versus the