Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak says the club will move quickly to strengthen the squad before the FIFA Club World Cup begins on June 14.
After winning the Premier League four times in a row, Pep Guardiola’s team had a disappointing 2024/25 season. City finished third in the league, failed to impress in the Champions League with only three wins in 10 games, and lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace. It was the first time they ended a season without a trophy since 2016/17.
Speaking in his end-of-season interview, Khaldoon admitted the club didn’t do enough in the transfer market last year.
“We weren’t aggressive enough last summer,” he said. “This January we had to act. We brought in four players, and that should give you an idea of what to expect this summer.”
City signed Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, and Nico Gonzalez in January, spending over £172 million.
More new faces are expected to join soon, with the club already setting clear transfer targets. “We know who we want, and we’re aiming to move fast. We’ll have the team ready before the Club World Cup,” Khaldoon added.
Players like Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, Lyon’s Rayan Cherki, and AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders have been linked with possible moves to the Etihad Stadium.
Despite City’s tough season, Guardiola signed a contract extension until 2027 last November. Khaldoon remains confident the team will bounce back.
“We will return to our usual high standards,” he said. “This past season is behind us. We’re already working on what’s next, and I believe we’ll come back stronger.”
