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Manchester City are preparing a “major exit operation” this summer as five first-team players eye up departures from the Etihad.

That’s according to journalist Jose Alvarez, who says Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, Ilkay Gundogan and Aymeric Laporte could leave the club and Barcelona are “interested”.

Manchester City find themselves at something of a turning point in Pep Guardiola’s reign, with several players who have been key for the Spaniard in recent years now either coming to the end of their contracts or past their peaks.

Guardiola has proven to be testy in recent interviews, criticising both his squad and even City’s fans as they struggle to keep up with Arsenal in the title race.

There are also questions about the current squad and whether they are set up correctly, particularly now that Erling Haaland is leading the line.

It means a big summer is expected and Alvarez insists that is very much the case, telling El Chiringuito that “a major exit operation because there is a lot of wear and tear among the heavyweights in the dressing room.”

According to his information, “there are there are several players who are disgruntled and can’t stand the situation” at the club and they are Cancelo, Walker, Gundogan, Silva and Laporte.

He goes on to explain the situation around each, explaining that Cancelo’s relationship with Guardiola and his backroom team “is not the best” and as a result he wants to depart.

Gundogan, meanwhile, is out of contract at Manchester City in the summer and while City “have been trying to renew him for the last two years” he is not interested in signing and is instead “quite advanced” on a deal to join Barcelona on a free transfer.

Silva, meanwhile, “keeps rejecting” contract renewal offers from Manchester City because he wants to leave in the summer and “PSG is there” ready to move for him.

Laporte’s situation is similar to the Portuguese international. His contract expires in 2025 and City “want to talk about extending him but he is thinking more about a departure in June.”

He is likely to return to Spain, despite interest from PSG, and there is a big Spanish team who are ready to close talks in June.

All of this has been noted by Barcelona, who are keeping an eye on the situation of every player and would be “interested” in them if deals can be done.

That will depend on numerous factors, of course, but the one certainty is that the five players will be “be put on the market for an attrition that they tell me is almost irreconcilable.”

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