'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Manchester City‘s hopes of defending their Premier League title took a huge blow on Saturday, when they were defeated 2-0 by Everton at Goodison Park, meaning there will big changes at the club in the summer.
To be honest, City haven’t been at their best whole season, with most of their star players underperforming. It’s time for a change, and while Roberto Mancini is likely to be in charge for at least another season, there will surely be changes in personnel. Many new players will come in to strengthen the team, but before that, they will have sell certain other players in order to make room for the newcomers.
Here are the five players who City should consider offloading in the summer:
Samir Nasri
The big-money signing from Arsenal has failed to live up to expectations at Manchester City after being an integral part of the team’s Premier League success last season. The Frenchman has spent most of the time out injured or on the bench, having made just 14 starts this season, and is slowly falling out of favour with the manager. At 25 years old, his best days are ahead of him and with two more years on his contract, he should attract a lot of interest from top clubs across Europe and bring in a good transfer fee.
Edin Dzeko
The 26-year old Bosnian international has performed whenever needed and has found the back of the net 12 times this season – the most by any City player – but has started on the bench for more than half of his 24 appearances. There is no doubt that he would make the starting XI of most teams in Europe and he deserves to be playing regularly at City, but he is the third choice striker in the squad behind Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez, and it won’t make life easier for him if Falcao or Edinson Cavani do arrive in the summer. Like Nasri, we haven’t seen the best of Dzeko yet, and he would surely fetch a big transfer fee for the Citizens.
Joleon Lescott
The central defender was rock solid in the heart of the City defence last season, but his horrendous error against Queens Park Rangers on the final day nearly cost them the title. This season, since the arrival of Matija Nastasic from Fiorentina in the summer, the former Everton man has dropped down the pecking orders at the club and has made just 11 starts in the league all season. Mancini doesn’t rate him high and a move away from Etihad Stadium would be good for all parties involved, as there is no point paying such high wages for a player who will be warming the benches for most of the season.
Kolo Toure
The Ivorian has been a bit-part player ever since his return in September 2011 from a six-month suspension for failing a drug test, and has made just seven appearances this season. The former Arsenal defender was linked with moves to Turkey in the summer transfer window and in January, but nothing ever materialized. Toure himself doesn’t expect to be at the Etihad Stadium beyond the end of the season, and neither do we. A move abroad looks like the best option for the 31-year old.
Scott Sinclair
This surely has to be one of the worst transfers of the season, and only Scott Sinclair can answer why he decided to give up a key role in the Swansea City side and move to Manchester City, where he was never ever going to get much game time. The former Chelsea winger has played just 173 minutes of football for City to date; that’s not even two complete matches. His career is in limbo, and for his own sake he should either gain regular first team action or force a move away from Manchester.
Many other players like Aleksandar Kolarov, Maicon, Gareth Barry, Jack Rodwell and Javi Garcia have all underperformed this season and could head for the exit in the summer, while the club must also try and get rid of Roque Santa Cruz, Wayne Bridge and Dedryck Boyata, who are all out on loan this season.
