Man City Premier League squad hints at possible transfer restrictions next summer

Manchester City will defend their Premier League crown with an official squad of just 20 players, of which four are goalkeepers.

The official 2023/24 Premier League squad lists were published this week, showing City have 20 players on their main squad, with new signings Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku still eligible as under-21 players. Forgotten goalkeeper Zack Steffen, recovering from a long-term injury, was a surprise inclusion on the main list, highlighting the limited options available to Pep Guardiola this season.

Guardiola has won Premier League titles with small squads before, and that in itself is not an issue. What could be an issue is the balance of 'homegrown' and 'non-homegrown' players in a squad that will automatically increase next season.

Gvardiol and Doku will both turn 22 in 2024, meaning they will not be able to be registered on the under-21 list next season. That takes City's 20-man squad up to 22, with a maximum of 25 players.

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However, of those 25, only 17 can be non-homegrown - that is, having not been registered with a club affiliated with the FA for three entire seasons before the age of 21.

City currently have 13 players who do not satisfy the homegrown status, with Gvardiol and Doku taking that number to 15. If there are no further outgoings, City could only make two further signings next summer who did not have homegrown status, before having to decide if any player had to be left out.

Steffen's inclusion in the 2023/24 squad is more reflective of the fact that he did not find a loan club this summer, in part due to undergoing surgery over the summer. The USA goalkeeper has two years left on his contract, and has