4 players who could play key roles for Man City during 2024/25

Manchester City will start the 2024/25 season intent on retaining their Premier League title and also reclaiming top spot in Europe.

Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens finally secured a fourth consecutive title by overtaking Arsenal in the final months of the season, with some of their most reliable stars emerging with moments of quality when it mattered most.

It’s been a fairly quiet summer transfer window for the English champions and their squad may not change much before the season starts. So which players will be key for City as they look to repeat their treble heroics of 2022/23?

When Kevin De Bruyne was laid low by injury at the start of the 2023/24 season, City fans began to have instant fears. Often the orchestrator of City’s title wins throughout the year, a hamstring knock kept the Belgium international out until January, when Arsenal clinched top spot in his absence.

In his first league game back, De Bruyne came off the bench to score and assist a goal each as City earned a dramatic comeback win at Newcastle United. He finished the period with four goals and ten assists in just 1,228 minutes of league action.

At 33, he’s not getting any younger and, with his contract expiring next year, this could be the last season De Bruyne can pick apart defences with his slick passing and precise shooting.

Rodri’s record of avoiding defeat while playing for City is the stuff of legend. In the Premier League last season, Rodri did not lose a single one of his 34 appearances, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists in the process.

The Euro 2024 winner is crucial in his holding midfield role, controlling the tempo of matches and breaking up attacks when necessary, and is arguably City’s most important player.

Manager Guardiola has spoken of his fears that City will start the season slowly and it is not ideal that Rodri has played a very limited amount of the minutes available in pre-season, but the 28-year-old is in his prime and will not want to suffer defeat any time soon.

Erling Haaland was unlikely to equal his debut season’s ridiculous 36-goal haul for a second time, but the Norwegian giant still walked away with the Premier League Golden Boot for his 27 goals.

He is such a physical specimen that mid-table and lower-table teams frankly cannot contain him at his best. When City are firing on all cylinders, it also provides Haaland with a buffet of chances to feast on.

The former Borussia Dortmund star has shown he can score all types of goals and few would argue he won’t record another impressive haul in 2024/25.

When De Bruyne was sidelined for half the season, City had to turn to another midfield genius for inspiration to defend their title.

It turned out to be a season of real growth for Phil Foden, who scored 19 Premier League goals and another five in the Champions League, winning multiple player of the season awards for his efforts.

The England star suffered international disappointment with his country but can now use that disappointment as fuel at club level.