Man City 2023/24 season preview: Key players, summer transfers, squad numbers & predictions

How do you improve on a treble-winning season? The simple answer: win the quadruple.

That is the unenviable task that faces Pep Guardiola ahead of the 2023/24 campaign as Manchester City look to reign supreme over England and Europe once again. Winning the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup was an incredible achievement, and one that is seldom achieved.

However, when a new season rolls into town, everyone forgets about the past. It's all about the here and now, and Guardiola will have to somehow keep his players motivated despite the fact the majority of his squad have already won everything they can in English football.

This City team are relentless though, as shown by their accumulation of silverware in recent years. If one man can make the Sky Blues even better, it's Guardiola.

Here's 90min's preview of Man City's 2023/24 season.

Man City's performance last five seasons

Summer transfers

Ins:

• Josko Gvardiol (DF) - RB Leipzig - £77.6m
• Mateo Kovacic (MF) - Chelsea - £25m

Outs:

• Riyad Mahrez (FW) - Al Ahli - £30m
• Yangel Hererra (MF) - Girona - £4.3m
• Nahuel Bustos (FW) - Talleres - undisclosed
• Ilkay Gundogan (MF) - Barcelona - free
• Benjamin Mendy (DF) - Lorient - free
• Issa Kabore (DF) - Luton Town - loan
• Josh Wilson-Esbrand (DF) - Reims - loan

Squad Numbers

*Numbers subject to change before end of transfer window

Key players

Star player

It would be daft to suggest anybody other than Erling Haaland as Man City's star player. Ultimately, Guardiola's squad is made up almost exclusively of star players, but the man who stood out above the rest last season was the big Norwegian striker.

Haaland annihilated the Premier League goalscoring record for a 38-game season, netting 36 in 35 matches, and even managed to provide eights assists on top of that freakishly high tally. The 23-year-old has established himself as the most complete forward in world football and centre-backs are yet to find a way to stop the colossus.

With the service he is provided by the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva, it wouldn't be surprising if he topped his own goalscoring record in the Premier League next term.

One to watch

Normally when you splash £77.6m on a new signing, they will automatically take up a position in the starting lineup. Such is the abundance of Man City's defensive options, that is no guarantee for Josko Gvardiol.

With Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and John Stones already at the club, Gvardiol's minutes may be shared more than he would like them to be. The 21-year-old is one of the most promising centre-backs in world football, so it will be interesting to see how quickly he adapts to life in the Premier League and where he may fit into Guardiola's ever-changing system.

Luckily for Gvardiol, time is on his side.

2023/24 kits

Home kit

Away kit

Third kit

Premier League prediction

You would have to be pretty brave to bet against City winning the Premier League title for a fourth consecutive year.

Even the most optimistic of Liverpool, Manchester United or Arsenal fans will be unlikely to splash big money on their side leapfrogging the Sky Blues, and another Guardiola title looks inevitable at the beginning of the season.

They have lost a few key players like Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez, with more potentially departing, but their recruitment has been solid and Guardiola always finds away to get his players ticking. They should have no problems again this year.

Man City 2023/24 Premier League prediction - 1st

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