How bright is Man City's future? Assessing Guardiola's squad

Pep Guardiola insists there's reason for optimism at Manchester City, despite a troubled campaign that's seen the defending champions reduced to battling for a place in the top four.

Following Wednesday's 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, a result that boosted their hopes of playing Champions League football next season, the City boss laid what he believes should be a "bright future" at the Etihad Stadium. (The victory moved them into fourth-place, a point above Chelsea, with 11 games remaining.) "The young players and the new acquisitions maybe the club will do in the summertime -- in the next transfer window -- have to lead this club for the next few years," he said.

They echoed his comments after Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool. ""I saw a bright future," Guardiola told the BBC. "Other than Kevin [De Bruyne] and Nathan [Ake], they are the future of this club in the next years, with others who will come in future windows.

Guardiola and new director of football Hugo Viana -- who has replaced the outgoing Txiki Begiristain -- are facing a summer rebuild as they plot their way back to the top. There's a core of established stars to build around, some exciting young players with huge potential, and also decisions to be made on some of the old guard including Kevin De Bruyne, who is out of contract in the summer.

Ahead of Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie vs. Plymouth Argyle (stream LIVE, Saturday, 12:15 p.m., ESPN+), we take a look at the state of City and whether or not the future is as bright as Guardiola believes.

The untouchables

One nice thing for City is that they're not starting their rebuild from scratch. Erling Haaland has signed a mammoth contract that runs through 2034 and Phil Foden, who has already racked up more than 300 club appearances before the age of 25, has shown no desire to ever leave the Etihad.

Beyond those two, defender Rúben Dias has been a key part of City's success since arriving from Benfica in 2020 and is a vocal presence in the squad. He's struggled for form and fitness this season -- like many of his teammates -- but is still only 27 and a strong character in the dressing room. Dias could take on an even more prominent role if there is an exodus of experienced players in the summer.

There has been a long-held belief by some at City that Rodri would one day be keen to return to Spain, but that talk has died down and there's hope he will be fully recovered from his knee injury by the time pre-season training begins in July and August.

The significant investment in Omar Marmoush in January means he will also be part of City's future. The Egyptian, signed for £60 million from Eintracht Frankfurt, has made a positive start in a difficult situation after joining an under-performing team mid-season.

Legends coming to the end?

This is where Guardiola and Viana will have to make big decisions.

The likes of Éderson, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gündogan and Kevin De Bruyne have been the cornerstones of the team that won the treble in 2023 and completed four titles in a row in 2024. But nothing lasts forever, and there are now serious question marks about their futures.

Each situation is different and delicate. De Bruyne is out of contract in the summer, while Gundogan has a one-year option in his deal that would take him to 2026 if it's exercised. There's interest in De Bruyne from teams in Saudi Arabia and the United States, and Galatasaray believe they have got a good chance of landing Gundogan. Ederson was close to moving to the Saudi Pro League last summer, and Silva has long wanted to return to continental Europe, whether Spain, France or Portugal.

The problem facing City is that Ederson, De Bruyne and Bernardo would need to be replaced, and that won't be cheap. Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen is a target to replace De Bruyne, but there would be stiff competition from Bayern Munich and possibly Real Madrid.

If Ederson leaves, City could either make Stefan Ortega first-choice and sign an understudy or make a move for another No.1 like FC Porto's Diogo Costa.

Are they part of the future, or is it time to go?

Top of the list is Jack Grealish. At 29 and with four years at City under his belt, he should be indispensable. But he's not. He's not been a regular in the team since the treble season, which means, naturally, his future is up in the air.

With two years left on his contract, City would demand a fee before letting him leave. There have been vague links with Tottenham Hotspur or a return to Aston Villa, but it's likely to take significant investment -- translation: wages plus transfer fee -- to get a deal over the line.

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It's different with John Stones because the issue isn't his performances, but his durability. Into his ninth season at the Etihad and approaching his 31st birthday, he's only once been able to make more than 25 league appearances in a single campaign. His latest injury picked up against Real Madrid is set to rule him out for between eight and 10 weeks.

Guardiola's biggest problem this season has been injuries, and it would be natural if he began to favour players he knows can stay fit.

Youngsters looking to establish themselves

The success of City's next cycle will depend heavily on the young players the club have already invested in. If defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, midfielders Nico Gonzalez, Claudio Echeverri and Rico Lewis, and forwards Savinho, Jérémy Doku, Oscar Bobb and James McAtee can realise their undoubted potential, then their next formidable team won't be far away.

Savinho, Khusanov and Lewis -- all starters against Liverpool on Sunday -- are only 20 while Reis and Echeverri, two of the most exciting prospects to come out of South America in recent, are still teenagers. The main issue with young players is that there's always an element of risk.

It's impossible to tell at 19 or 20 who might be a world-beater by the time they're 25 or 26. City can only hope that the gambles pay off.

The next generation coming through

City have one of the best academy set-ups in the country and they currently sit top of Premier League 2 (for Under-21s) and the Under-18 Premier League north group. Midfielder Nico O'Reilly (19) and defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (19) have both made appearances this season, while striker Divin Mubama (20) scored against Salford City in the FA Cup in January.

City have been good at moving on young players for big fees, although they turned down a substantial bid from Chelsea for O'Reilly on deadline day in January. The decision may have been influenced by a growing feeling that City missed a trick by not asking for more when Cole Palmer moved to Stamford Bridge in 2023.

And what about Pep in all of this?

The City boss quietened the noise around his own future by signing a contract extension in November. His deal runs until 2027 and he insisted after the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid that he intends to honour it. But it hasn't stopped nagging questions about whether Guardiola needs the stress which comes with another rebuild. He's achieved everything in England and the only challenge left in management is to lead a national team at a major tournament. After such a gruelling campaign and so many problems to navigate, City fans will only feel confident he's definitely staying when they see him on the training pitch preparing for next season.