Did Manchester City leave squad rebuild 'one window too long' amid Real Madrid Champions League humbling?

Manchester City's quest for a second UEFA Champions League title is at an end even before the round of 16, and with it comes a host of questions. Does this signal the end of an era for City's fabled line-up of stars who have delivered so much success? Will Pep Guardiola be there for a rebuild in what would be his 10th season at the helm? And what will the club's transfer plans be this summer?

Manchester City may have waited "one window too long" to begin their rebuild, believes TNT Sports' Owen Hargreaves, as The Citizens lick their wounds following their UEFA Champions League exit to a Kylian Mbappe-inspired Real Madrid.

City were well beaten in the second leg at the Bernabeu, in a tie that rarely threatened to deliver the drama seen in previous dust-ups between the two sides.

Allied to their continued struggles in the Premier League, a raft of questions continue to surround Pep Guardiola and his squad, one of which centres around the composition of their squad.

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Moves were made in January to bring in younger faces - such as Abdukodir Khusanov and Omar Marmoush - but how will the club's transfer strategy evolve beyond that?

"The January signings were a necessity really, and they overpaid for those players and we've seen already that they've not been quite ready," Karen Carney, together with Hargreaves, said on TNT Sports.

"That will take time and that might come next season or even time after that, because it's not easy to go into City and be good to go and be ready, there are very few that do it.

"So there's a lot of work to do, probably half the squad needs replacing, for me anyway, so there's a lot of work."

Carney, however, wondered who would be leading this rebuild.

She said: "I think the big question is how much energy has Pep got to do that?

"Because if the leader isn't motivated - I'm sure he is - but if he hasn't got the energy to rebuild and rebuild, then I think there are also bigger problems for City."

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Hargreaves added that "Father Time is undefeated" when assessing City's group of long-time stars.

"It is tricky because I think all of a sudden, a lot of these players have aged at a similar time," Hargreaves said.

"We've seen the brilliance of [Kevin] De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, [Ilkay] Gundogan, John Stones, Kyle Walker.

"Everybody's got to a point together and you just wonder if maybe they can find a way to get it back or maybe they bring in some younger players.

"I do think it's normal for clubs to be very loyal, especially when these guys have won so much. But it just feels like maybe they left it one [transfer] window too long, and this was inevitable.

"I think they deserve a lot of praise for what they've been able to achieve, but Father Time is undefeated. That happens to everybody.

"I think they'll use this season as a learning one, and I'm sure next season they'll be a lot better, a lot younger, a lot more dynamic and a lot more physical."

City's struggles in attack

The contributions of De Bruyne, Gundogan and Silva have for so long been the identity of this Man City team.

But as the numbers show, their influence on the side in terms of goal involvements has dwindled - especially this term - as we look at the last six seasons in the Premier League as a barometer.

With the yellowed boxes showing the best return for each midfielder - as well as the best collective season they have produced - the drop-off this campaign can be seen, with just 16 goal involvements between these three legendary figures so far.

Injuries play a role here and there are games remaining, but even so, the trio's current total of 16 is some way short of even their worst collective return of 41 in 2020/21.

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In other seasons, that might have been compensated for by attacking returns from the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish or Jeremy Doku, however, those three have just 17 goal involvements between them at this stage of the Premier League campaign.

The Rodri factor

Just how much have City missed Rodri? And is it his absence that has exacerbated and accelerated their malaise?

The Spanish Ballon d'Or winner ruptured his ACL on September 22 against Arsenal, and after a long process of recovery, has been back among the squad and was even registered in City's squad for the Champions League knockouts.

Initially, his team-mates had seemed untroubled playing without him, recording six wins and a draw in all competitions up until October 30.

But from then on, they suddenly lost the winning habit.

They were knocked out of the League Cup by Spurs, lost four in a row in the Premier League, as well as defeats on the road to Sporting CP and Juventus in the Champions League.

"We have known it from the beginning but Rodri is a Ballon d’Or player," Guardiola said in December.

"We are playing without the best player in England last season. That is the problem. Not one other team plays with a central midfielder who has a Ballon d’Or. It is difficult.

"The moment he comes back, we will be strong again. We will be a good team. Of course, we still have to try and play the same way and to win. Sooner or later we are going to be back."

But with Guardiola urging caution over Rodri's return, can he coax enough from his side to finish in the top four of the Premier League, as City bid to regroup and rediscover their mojo for 2025/26?

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