EPL champions Man City set for star departures as chaos around European ban mounts

EPL manager Pep Guardiola has lost control of a part of his squad amidst the potential two-year-European ban, as per reports in Spain. Manchester City were hit with a ban by UEFA from European competitions after 'breaches in UEFA's club licensing and financial fair play regulations.' They were also fined a sum of £25m due to the same.

The EPL club have already appeared to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), the highest authority in legal sports matters. They hope to see their ban overturned and a hearing is set to be held in the coming weeks. Should the ban remain in place, City will not be allowed to participate in the next two editions of the UEFA Champions League.

EPL champions City could lose Sterling, De Bruyne and others

There have been rumours surrounding departures of several key players due to this reason. Players entering the prime of their careers such as star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne are reportedly looking for a move away from the Etihad Stadium.

3 - Kevin De Bruyne is the first player in Premier League history to provide 15+ assists in three different campaigns. Genius. #SHUMNC pic.twitter.com/yMrOqpLsRW

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 21, 2020

The Belgian maestro is admired by the best clubs in the continent and is being tracked most of all by Real Madrid. De Bruyne was the star of the show when Man City travelled to the Santiago Bernabéu before the suspension of sport. In what was a surreal win for the EPL side, the Belgian was at the heart of everything positive that they did.

De Bruyne assisted Gabriel Jesus' equalizer in the 78th minute and restored parity after Isco's 60th-minute opener. Just five minutes later, the former Chelsea man got on the scoresheet after dispatching the ball from the spot and sealed the first-leg victory. Apart from the two vital contributions, the EPL superstar broke Real Madrid's lines with ease from the middle of the park.

The Belgian ripped Real Madrid apart on their own turf

Real Madrid lack a player such as the EPL record-breaker among their ranks and are said to be on high alert after whispers from Manchester. Should their ban remain in place, Real Madrid are reportedly lining up a bid of over €100m along with a player.

The defending EPL champions have long admired Spanish playmaker Isco who Real could include in a potential deal. Éder Militão is another player who has been mentioned as a makeweight as City continue their hunt for a star centre-back.

Raheem Sterling is reportedly looking for a move away

Raheem Sterling made headlines over the last few days after reports emerged of him weighing up his options. The 25-year-old has been one of the best players in the EPL for some time now, and City could potentially lose him due to the ban.

The Englishman is another EPL player (and City player) linked with a move to Real Madrid. However, reports in England suggest that Manchester United could capitalize on City's mess and swoop in for Sterling.

178/188 - Rodri attempted 188 passes tonight versus West Ham, completing 178 of them - both are Premier League records since detailed collection began in 2003-04. The entire West Ham team completed 169 passes. Orchestrator. pic.twitter.com/3VL1fCpaLN

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 19, 2020

Rodri, a player who Guardiola brought in with the hope of being Fernandinho's long-term heir has also reportedly begun looking elsewhere. The Spaniard is a gifted defensive midfielder arrived to the EPL for a club-record fee of £63.6M from Atletico Madrid.