Pep Guardiola's next Man City transfer project is obvious after £288million transformation

The Manchester City team that beat Wydad AC 2-0 in the opening round of games at the Club World Cup was the second youngest fielded among the 32 teams that week. This intriguing stat offered so much hope for Pep Guardiola for a while.

There was a freshness about City in America in those early weeks. Three convincing wins in the group stages suggested they were getting their mojo back, with the squad benefiting from a major refresh, but that optimism was halted by the 4-3 defeat to Al Hilal in Orlando.

It might not have been the strongest side available to Guardiola, but the starting XI against Wydad had an average age of 23.4 and included just two players over the age of 26, in 30-year-old Nathan Ake and Ederson (31).

By the time they played Al Hilal, the average age had crept up to 26.9, partly due to the presence of 34-year-old Ilkay Gundogan. Bernardo and Ederson were the only other 30-somethings on the team.

This is partly as a result of the squad overhaul that City have been carrying out in recent years. New signings have tended to be young, and it now feels like there is youth in every position and players in their prime all over the pitch. A squad that had won everything together has gradually been refreshed and partly rebuilt.

If there is one area that clearly needs attention next, it is goalkeeper. In 2025 alone, there have been new signings in defence, midfield and attack, but the arrival of 33-year-old Marcus Bettinelli, while offering a new voice in the goalkeeping group, isn't going to change the dynamics when it comes to selection.

For all the questions about Ederson and Stefan Ortega's futures towards the end of last season, it appears both will stay at the Etihad for one more season. Ederson will turn 32