Bernardo Silva is on his way to leaving City for Barcelona
Manchester City have officially announced the departure of five key members of Pep Guardiola's assistant coaching staff, in a move that reflects the beginning of the rearrangement of the domestic house after the curtain came down on a historic era that spanned a decade of success.
In a statement published on its official website, the English club said that it has been decided to terminate the contractual association with Pep Landers, Kolo Toure, Lorenzo Buenaventura, Manuel Esttiarte, and Xabi Manciidore, at the end of the 2025-2026 season.
The move is a complete dismantling of the "old guard" that accompanied Guardiola during his coaching career, as fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura is leaving, along with managerial and technical close Manuel Estiarte, who have accompanied them at major stops from Barcelona and then Bayern Munich to Manchester City.
The list of departed Ivorian Kolo Toure, the team's former star, who was elevated to the coaching staff after his successful experience with the U-18 youth team, as well as the Dutchman Pep Landers, who joined the assistant staff in the summer of 2025 and contributed to the crowning of the FA Cup and League Cup titles last season.
In another surprise, the club announced the departure of Spanish goalkeeper head Xabi Manciidore, who joined City since the summer of 2013 and has been one of the main pillars of goalkeeper development since the era of Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini, before retaining his position for the entire 10 years of Guardiola.
Manchester City Club concluded its statement by thanking the five members of the technical staff for their great efforts and contributions, wishing them success in their future careers.
Bernardo Silva from City to Barcelona
News has spread that Bernardo Silva wants to leave Manchester City as a free agent, while Barcelona are rearranging their priorities in midfield under Hansi Flick according to clear determinants.
The Portuguese star has agreed to take a pay cut of up to 60% compared to what he earns in England, in preparation for joining him for free after the end of his contract, in a deal that could be the only reinforcement of the midfield this summer.
Despite the initial consensus, the final decision remains in Flick's hands, with the departure of some current midfielders, such as the loan of Marc Casado and Tommy Marquez, to free up space on the roster and avoid a pile of names before giving the green light to complete the deal.
Englishman Gordon to Barcelona for 70 million euros
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano will not announce that Barcelona have reached a full agreement with Newcastle United to sign English winger Anthony Gordon, with the player travelling on Thursday to undergo medical tests in preparation for signing the contract.
Romano said the deal was exceptional in terms of value and speed of resolution, with a fixed value of 70 million euros, which rises in variables to 80 million, while Gordon agreed to a long contract that extends for 5 years until June 2031 with an annual salary of approximately 13 million euros.
Barcelona's decision to sign the deal came as a surprise blow to the rivals, after Bayern Munich were the closest to signing the player before backing down due to financial demands, in addition to previous interest from Liverpool.
The deal has received full approval from coach Hansi Flick, who sees the 25-year-old as the perfect reinforcement for the left-wing position.
Expectations suggest that Gordon's arrival will directly affect Marcus Rashford's future, as it could complicate the conversion of his loan from Manchester United to a permanent contract due to the similar roles on the pitch.