Man City strike £550k off wage bill and break transfer record as four players quit club

Manchester City are set to save a hefty chunk of the wage bill as four players depart the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City are set to slash more than half a million pounds from their weekly wage bill as four players officially leave the club today. Former first-team stalwarts John Stones and Bernardo Silva headline the departures, with the experienced duo leaving the Etihad Stadium on July 1 after their contracts came to an end.

Both players confirmed they would be leaving before the end of the season, allowing City supporters to give them an emotional farewell following the final Premier League game of the 2025-26 campaign against Aston Villa. Stones arrived from Everton in 2016 in a deal worth £47.5million, making him the second-most expensive defender in football history at the time.

The classy centre-back went on to more than justify that price tag, making 295 appearances under Pep Guardiola during a trophy-laden decade that delivered six Premier League titles, the Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups and five Carabao Cups. Silva followed him to Manchester a year later and quickly became a fan favourite, scoring 76 goals in 460 appearances as he played a pivotal role in the most successful era in City’s history.

Get MEN Premium now for just £1 HERE – or get involved in our City WhatsApp group by clicking HERE. You can also join our City Facebook page by clicking HERE and don't miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters HERE.

The pair are both currently representing their countries at the FIFA World Cup in North America – although their club futures are now set to head in very different directions. Silva has already agreed a two-year contract with Real Madrid and officially joins the Spanish giants today.

Stones’ next destination remains more uncertain, with the 32-year-old instead choosing to focus on England’s World Cup campaign before deciding the next step in his career. The other two players departing City today are academy graduates Ashton Muir and Ezra Carrington, who both had their progress disrupted by a string of injury issues.

Collectively, the quartet are believed to have earned around £550,000 per week, freeing up funds for City to use in the summer transfer window. According to The Athletic, Stone's contract at City was worth £250,000 per week before tax (£13m per year), while other reports have suggested Silva was paid £300,000 per week at the Etihad Stadium.

Those savings are set to be reinvested almost immediately with the impending signing of Elliot Anderson, who has been City’s top target to replace the departing Silva for months. The Nottingham Forest midfielder, currently playing alongside Stones at the World Cup, completed a medical at England’s training base in Dallas on Sunday ahead of a club-record deal worth around £116m.

The 23-year-old is expected to be officially unveiled as a City player later this week following England’s Round of 32 clash against DR Congo on Wednesday afternoon.

Click here to read article