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Manchester City have torn apart teams in recent times, showcasing their incredible ability game after game; and last season they raised the bar, reaching 100 points in the Premier League and breaking four records in the process. This time around, though, they face competition - primarily from Liverpool and Tottenham. If they want to retain their Premier League title, they'll need to work twice as hard as before.
However, behind the scenes, there are several issues with the City squad. Whilst their starting XI might be supreme, the cracks begin to show when you look at their subs and reserve players. Simply put, for a team as great as City, they shouldn't have some of the names on this list at the club.
So, without any further adieu, let's take a look at five players Manchester City should ship out in January.
#5 Claudio Bravo
Some might question why Bravo is on this list, but the answer is simple: he's simply not good enough. Yes, he's a second choice goalkeeper, but he's well below par, despite his rich history with Barcelona.
After such a calamitous first season with the club where he let in goals far too easily, Guardiola's faith in the Chilean appears to have hit rock bottom. To play Bravo between the sticks in such a pivotal Premier League campaign is way too much of a risk for Manchester City. They're much better off sticking with Ederson.
But then where does this leave them if Ederson picks up a knock?
Personally, I think City should offload Bravo and invest the money they get for him in a much more reliable, consistent goalkeeper to serve as backup. City do have two other goalkeepers available - Daniel Grimshaw and Arijanet Muric - but both lack the experience and ability to be of any use to the first team right now.
That being said, City's most recent signing, Zack Steffen, from Colombus Crew could fill that second choice goalkeeper gap - which would mean that Bravo's no longer needed, anyway.
Where might Claudio Bravo go?
Whilst Bravo hasn't been linked to a club just yet, a likely destination for him would be La Liga, where he flourished before. Whether Barcelona would take him back isn't out of the question, but I imagine it would probably be a club slightly lower down than that who'd be more willing to take him in.
#4 Eliaquim Mangala
Mangala has seriously struggled to make it into the first team at Manchester City due to both injuries and poor performances, and whilst the potential is still there for him to become a starter, unless he improves soon, he's destined to be shipped out.
When Mangala joined Manchester City back in the 2014/15 season, he was heavily involved in the side, featuring in a total of 71 Premier League games across three campaigns, consolidating his position as a key cog in City's defence.
However, a mediocre loan move to Valencia in the 2016/17 campaign halted his progress dramatically, and whilst he was away, the City side formed a different mould - one which meant that Mangala no longer fit.
The following season saw him start just four matches, failing to really impress in any of them. As a result, midway through the season, he was shipped out on loan to Everton. This was a huge chance for him to showcase what he was made of, but he picked up an injury early on and left the Toffees at the end of the season feeling unfulfilled.
Now he's back with City and hasn't been involved in a single match yet. It's obvious to everyone that Mangala is unlikely to still be around after the January transfer window.
Where might Eliaquim Mangala go?
The Sun have reported that the Frenchman is lined up with a free transfer to Inter Milan next month. Wolves are also keen, and with Mangala's desire to stay in England, this could be the most likely destination.
#3 Marlos Moreno
Manchester City signed Marlos Moreno in the summer of 2016 from Colombian side Athletic National after the youngster showed huge promise in the league. He has since been sent out on loan to three different clubs: Deportivo La Coruna, Girona and Flamengo. However, he's failed to live up to the hype that once surrounded him, so now City are considering letting him go.
He was bought with the intention of serving as a backup to either Raheem Sterling or Leroy Sane, but due to his minor progress and mediocre performances in weaker leagues than the Premier League, City have suddenly realised that his purchase might have been a mistake.
Where might Marlos Moreno go?
Sport Witness reported that Flamengo had even rejected the chance to sign the winger on a permanent deal, which begs the question: if he can't make it into a sub-par Brazilian side, how on Earth is he expected to get into the Manchester City team?
What's even more worrying is the fact that no clubs are interested in his services, so if City plan to sell him in January, they're going to struggle getting back the £5m they spent on buying him.
#2 Tosin Adarabioyo
Tosin Adarabioyo was once a hot prospect for City and the latest hyped up youngster to graduate from their academy. But after struggling for a while with City's youth team, he was given a chance to prove himself elsewhere, and was awarded a loan move to West Bromwich Albion in the Championship.
It's safe to say that Adarabioyo isn't particularly a fan favourite at the Hawthorns, as he's made several defensive errors which have led to goals, only showing that he's a liability at the back right now.
There's certainly a long way to go before Adarabioyo can hope to make it into the City squad.
Where might Tosin Adarabioyo go?
West Brom boss Darren Moore is reportedly uninterested in keeping Adarabioyo at the Hawthorns for much longer, which may force City to recall him in January. If they do, it's unlikely that they'll want him to stick around. Whether they ship him out on loan, or try and get as much money as they can for him right now, remains to be seen.
No clubs have shown any interest as of yet, but the Championship would be the most likely destination for Adarabioyo.
#1 Fabian Delph
Fabian Delph has stuck out like a sore thumb at City for a long time now. Last season, however, he featured fairly prominently for the first team, appearing in 22 games. This was mainly due to the fact he'd been pushed to left-back, where he flourished.
But this was to be short-lived, as he's since been competing for the position with Oleksandr Zinchenko, a young rising star who shows plenty of promise already. And now that City are linked with a £50m transfer for Leicester City's Ben Chilwell, Delph might be pushed out of his preferred role entirely.
A team with Manchester City's wealth and power shouldn't need to rely on a player like Delph anymore; they should invest heavily in January and see to it that he's either replaced or dropped to the bench to serve as a backup - if he can beat Zinchenko to it.
Where might Fabian Delph go?
Everton, Stoke and Southampton were all interested in Delph last summer, but nothing materialised. The same might happen again in January, because there's no doubt that Delph is a good player, but he's slipping down the pecking order at City now, so a move away would be logical.
