Manchester City 2026/27 Season Preview: Transfers, Squad Depth & Fixture Outlook

 

 

Manchester City are about to start a Premier League season without Pep Guardiola in the dugout for the first time in over 10 years. I've been looking at where his replacement, Enzo Maresca, may need to strengthen before the 23 August deadline.

 

Change is underway on the blue side of Manchester. The foundation of City's success, the one constant across the previous decade, Guardiola has moved on. One of his protégés, Enzo Maresca, was chosen to take over.

 

Maresca inherits a squad full of quality, but it fell short in the league last season. City dropped 20 points from winning positions, joint-fourth-most in the division, and picked up just five points from losing positions all campaign.

 

Expectations stay high regardless. City head into 2026/27 with the minimum expectation of challenging for the title. So where does director of football Hugo Viana need to improve the squad for them to get back on top of English football? GoalBible watches last season's drop-off and sees two clear priorities: a midfielder who can run the game under pressure, and a striker who puts away the late ones.

 

Manchester City Transfer Window Recap

 

Manchester City New Signing Players (2026/27)

 

 

Manchester City Departure Players (2026/27)

 

Note: Updated on 6 Aug 2026

 

Manchester City have played the 2026 summer window with a steady hand. New head coach Enzo Maresca has repeated that the group doesn't need a full overhaul, but he's also stopped short of saying the business is finished.

 

Three have come in: Elliot Anderson adds midfield legs and homegrown status, Jeremy Monga is a high-upside wide talent Maresca knows well from Leicester, and Pierce Charles returns as a low-cost homegrown option at goalkeeper. Three senior figures have gone the other way. 

Bernardo Silva, John Stones, and Nathan Aké all left. That's technical security, defensive reading of the game, and pure big-match experience walking out the door in one window.

 

Maresca didn't hide from that in his press comments. He pointed out that losing players of that calibre leaves things to address. Hugo Viana and Ferran Soriano are still working the market, and the sense I get is the club is waiting for the right target to become available rather than forcing a move. A holding midfielder feels like the obvious hole if one becomes gettable late in the window. If not, Maresca goes into the season trusting the existing options plus Anderson to cover the gaps. It's a quiet window so far, but the kind of quiet that could still have one meaningful move left in it.

 

More on this: Is Rodri really leaving? Will Trafford's move go through? GoalBible is tracking every one of these unresolved deals, come back for the latest.

 

How Strong Is Manchester City's Squad Depth for the 2026/27 Season?

 

Goalkeepers – 4/5 (GoalBible Score)

 

Donnarumma's 72.1% save percentage led all Premier League keepers with at least five appearances. Trafford also impressed, preventing 2.14 goals in six FA Cup games according to Opta's xGOT metric. But Trafford is reportedly set to join Leeds United, unwilling to remain a cup goalkeeper. That would leave Donnarumma and Marcus Bettinelli as the only senior options. Signing another shot-stopper is a clear requirement. Donnarumma needs rotation for cup and European fixtures, and Bettinelli is a third-choice keeper by trade. A veteran backup or a loan move would be the logical solution here.

 

Defence – 4/5 (GoalBible Score)

 

Manchester City's defence looks in good shape for 2026/27. Matheus Nunes took to his converted role on the right side of the back line better than most expected. He led the squad in touches with 2,886 and topped the tackle count at 40. But asking him to carry that workload across a full league season isn't realistic. Maresca will need another option there eventually. 

Centre-back doesn't need outside help. Khusanov can cover multiple roles across the back line, and the group of Rúben Dias, Marc Guéhi, and Gvardiol gives Maresca the kind of selection headache most coaches want. That's before even mentioning Vitor Reis, who might stay in the squad after a solid loan in La Liga.

 

Left-back has turned into a genuine strength after years of being the position everyone targeted. Nico O'Reilly broke through properly last season and his attacking output from defensive areas was notable. His 2.27 xG from headers ranked sixth among all Premier League defenders. Rayan Aït-Nouri will push him for minutes, and Gvardiol can slide across when needed.

 

Central Midfield – 3/5 (GoalBible Score)

 

Anderson's arrival gives City exactly what they lost when Bernardo left. His 11 games with 10+ possession wins led the entire league last season. That is elite ball-winning numbers.

 

Rodri is the concern. If he comes back sharp, that midfield looks as good as any. If not, the drop-off to González and Kovacic is significant. Both are solid players, but neither gives you that same physical presence in the middle. I think City are still vulnerable there if Rodri misses any extended period.

 

Attacking Midfield – 3/5 (GoalBible Score)

 

The starting trio in attacking midfield is strong. It's the backup that worries me. Doku is trending upward and looks more polished in the final third. Cherki's 3.02 chances created per 90 last season put him second among all Premier League regulars in that metric. That number is real, and City didn't miss De Bruyne's creativity as much as people predicted.

 

Foden feels like the wildcard. If Maresca finds a way to get him central and involved consistently, that 27-goal version from 2023/24 could reappear. New contract signed, motivation shouldn't be an issue. Behind them, though, the picture is less clear. Savinho lost his way last season. Grealish is back but nobody seems sure if he stays. A couple of academy lads are knocking on the door, but banking on youth to cover a title run is a gamble. I think City need one more reliable option in that area, someone who can rotate in without the level dropping.

 

Striker – 3.5/5 (GoalBible Score)

 

Striker is the easiest position to audit in this whole squad. Haaland fit means Haaland plays. His 1.06 goal contributions per 90 in the league last season were comfortably the best among all players with 1,000 minutes or more. Across Europe's top five leagues, only one player topped his 35 combined goals and assists. That level of output also shapes how the club approaches the backup role.

 

Marmoush stalled last season after showing real flashes at the end of 2024/25. The technical ability is there, I don't question that. What worried me was how he handled the mental side of being a squad player. His league minutes dropped to 699, nearly half of what he managed the previous campaign despite joining mid-season. The World Cup painted a similar picture. 

 

That said, Haaland's presence is probably what keeps Marmoush in the picture. City aren't desperate for another striker when the best finisher in the world already leads the line. The club can afford to give Marmoush another shot. For me, the question is whether he can rebuild his confidence enough to contribute when called upon. If he starts the season looking hesitant again, the patience might not last.

 

More on this: A closer look at how City's defence adapts under a new manager, and what happens if Rodri's contract situation drags into the season.

 

What Do City's Fixtures Tell Us About Maresca's Start?

 

City's fixture list isn't about raw difficulty. It's about timing. The opening run looks kind, with Bournemouth, Coventry City and Sunderland first up. That gives Enzo Maresca some breathing room to get his ideas across before the first proper test at Old Trafford.

 

Things get serious between October and December. Liverpool away, Arsenal away, Chelsea at home and Newcastle away, all while Champions League games are piling up. That stretch will tell us whether City are actually in the title conversation or just hanging around.

 

The run-in throws up a few tricky ones too. Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Liverpool at the Etihad and Aston Villa at home. But there are also games against Bournemouth, Brentford, Ipswich and Sunderland where you would expect City to take maximum points.

 

In my view, it comes down to three things: keeping players fit, managing the squad through the busy periods and not dropping silly points against the top sides. The fixtures are fine on paper, but the timing of those tough runs could be what decides the season.

 

Full 2026-27 Manchester City Fixture List

 

August 2026

 

September 2026

 

October 2026

 

November 2026

 

December 2026

 

January 2027

 

February 2027

 

March 2027

 

April 2027

 

May 2027

 

Note: Updated on 7 Aug 2026. Kick-off times are provisional for fixtures without confirmed TV selection and subject to change.

 

Was Manchester City's 2025/26 Season a Failure or a Transition Year?

 

I would argue it was more of a transition season than a failure. City finished second in the Premier League and ended Guardiola's final campaign with two domestic trophies. That is not a bad return by most standards. But the inconsistent league form exposed some issues that Maresca now has to address.

 

The season really came down to two different halves. City lost four of their first 12 league matches, but they responded well in the second half, going unbeaten in their final 15 league games. That run showed the quality is still there.

 

For Maresca, I think consistency is what matters most. City showed they could bounce back from setbacks, but those slow starts cost them the title. If he can get the team playing at that level from the first game rather than the second half of the season, the squad is good enough to challenge again in the 2026/27 season. That is the main job ahead of him.

 

How Is Manchester City Performing This Season?

 

To figure out where City are going, we need to be honest about where they have been. The 2025/26 numbers are all we have to go on before the new season starts, and Opta's data tells the real story.

 

2025/26 Premier League Stats

 

 

2025/26 Champions League Stats

 

 

What Tactical System Will Maresca Use?

 

Note: GoalBible Research Finding

 

Maresca is taking over a team built on possession rather than starting from scratch. But while his system looks similar to Guardiola's on the surface, the details are different.

 

 

Maresca sets up in a 4-2-3-1 that becomes a 3-2-5 or 3-4-3 diamond when attacking. The idea is to create numerical advantages in the middle and rotate positions to open gaps between the opposition's defensive lines. It is similar to Guardiola in that one full-back inverts into midfield, which is where Nico O'Reilly fits in. He steps inside, allowing Anderson and one of Reijnders, Kovacic or Gonzalez to push forward and support Cherki or Foden.

 

The Haaland question is the tricky one. At Chelsea, Joao Pedro dropped deep to pull centre-backs out of position and create space for runners. Haaland is not that type of forward. He wants to stay high and attack the box. My view is that Maresca will need to rely more on his wingers and attacking midfielders to provide creativity in the final third, rather than asking Haaland to change his game. That feels like the smarter approach.

 

What Are the Latest Betting Trends For Manchester City?

 

The 1xBet odds for Premier League 2026/27 Winner have City at 3.72, behind Arsenal but ahead of everyone else. Liverpool's price has bounced around more noticeably, while City's has been consistent. I think that reflects the market's view: uncertainty around the new manager, but the underlying quality is still there. They are not favourites, but they are not far off either.

 

Note: Odds are accurate as of 7 Aug 2026.

 

GoalBible Final Verdict

 

Manchester City enter 2026/27 with genuine title-winning quality and genuine uncertainty sitting side by side, and for once the uncertainty isn't really about the players. Maresca has to translate a coaching background built at Leicester and a difficult, short Chelsea spell into results at a club with a decade of ingrained habits and zero patience for a slow start. The attack still looks dangerous, but Rodri's future is unresolved. Everything hinges on how quickly Maresca's principles click with players who've spent years doing things a different way. If it happens fast, City are still a top-two side. If it doesn't, this could be the season the rest of the league finally sees daylight.

 

 

Top 5 Premier League Manchester City Top Scorers Prediction (2026/27)

 

I have based these predictions on the players' actual Premier League stats from last season, using data from FootyStats. The ranges reflect what they produced in 2025/26, projected forward.

 

1. Erling Haaland

 

No. of Goals: 24–28

No. of Assists: 3–6

 

Erling Haaland is still the obvious pick for the Golden Boot. He scored 27 last season, averaging a goal every 4.67 shots with a 45.24% accuracy rate. Those are elite numbers. The supporting cast around him looks stronger than it did last season. Doku, Cherki and Marmoush should create more chances, and Maresca's system tends to get the best out of his centre-forward. Fitness is the only real concern for me. 

 

2. Antoine Semenyo

 

No. of Goals: 12–15

No. of Assists: 5–7

 

Semenyo had a real breakthrough last season. 17 goals from 17.27 xG suggests he is not overperforming; he is just converting what he should. His 0.45 non-penalty xG per 90 was elite. The concern at City is competition. With Doku, Cherki and Foden all needing touches, his shot count might drop. I would still back him for double figures, though.

 

3. Phil Foden

 

No. of Goals: 10–14

No. of Assists: 5–8

 

Foden's underlying numbers are still solid. His xG was 16.31 last season compared to 19 actual goals, which tells me he is creating quality chances and finishing them efficiently. He is not overperforming by a huge margin, just converting what he should be converting. That consistency is what makes him reliable.

 

4. Omar Marmoush

 

No. of Goals: 9–13

No. of Assists: 4–6

 

Marmoush's underlying numbers point to a reliable scorer. His 0.51 xG per 90 and 3.87 shots per 90 show he consistently gets into good positions. The main limitation is not his ability but his expected minutes behind Haaland. I think that is the only thing holding him back from bigger numbers.

 

5. Rayan Cherki

 

No. of Goals: 5–8

No. of Assists: 8–12

 

Cherki is more about creating than scoring. 2025/26 stats of 0.59 xA per 90 and over three key passes per game put him right up there with the Premier League's best creators. Maresca likes to build attacks through central rotations, which plays to Cherki's strengths. I see him stepping up as a key creative outlet in the post-De Bruyne era.

 

Premier League Manchester City Position Prediction (2026/27)

 

Prediction: 2nd Place

 

Anderson is a good addition, but losing Stones, Ake and Akanji leaves gaps at the back. The window is still open but options are running out. I am not convinced City will win the league this year. Not because they are weaker, but because Arsenal look settled and Maresca is still finding his feet. Even Guardiola took a season to get going.