Manchester City head into January full of confidence as they aim to make 2026 far more successful than the year before. The champions have given themselves a strong platform, winning eight games in a row and steadily closing the gap on league leaders Arsenal.
But as they prepare for tonight’s Premier League clash with Sunderland, City know three points are vital if they want to reduce the deficit to just two points. A loss against the Black Cats would ease the pressure on Arsenal and would be the worst possible way to begin the new year.
January 1 also signals the start of the winter transfer window — and with that comes the risk of developments that could seriously disrupt Pep Guardiola’s plans. MEN Sport has therefore outlined what a nightmare January could look like for Manchester City.
Bernardo agrees a pre-contract
Just as happened when Ilkay Gündogan left the club, the opening weeks of 2026 could be filled with uncertainty over Bernardo Silva’s future. It would be difficult to find a City fan willing to see the 31-year-old move on.
However, from this month, Bernardo is legally free to hold talks and sign a pre-contract with overseas clubs, which would effectively confirm his exit from the Etihad.
Kalvin Phillips’ move to City in 2022 has unfortunately turned into a major misstep for his career. Although he has earned major honours — including two Premier League titles and a Champions League medal — he has featured only 32 times in total.
Keeping Phillips beyond January would be damaging for both him and the club. A move away would give all parties a clean slate. Staying simply postpones the inevitable and helps no one.
