Manchester City are set to reduce their weekly wage bill by more than half a million pounds as four players officially leave the Etihad Stadium on July 1, 2026. Former first-team regulars John Stones and Bernardo Silva headline the departures, with both players leaving after their contracts expired.
Stones and Silva depart after trophy-laden decade
Stones, who joined from Everton in 2016 for £47.5 million—making him the second-most expensive defender in history at the time—made 295 appearances under Pep Guardiola. He won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, and five Carabao Cups. Silva, who arrived a year later, scored 76 goals in 460 appearances and became a fan favorite during the club's most successful era.
Both players confirmed their departures before the end of the 2025-26 season, allowing fans to bid farewell after the final Premier League match against Aston Villa. They are currently representing their countries at the FIFA World Cup in North America.
Different paths: Silva to Real Madrid, Stones undecided
Silva has already agreed a two-year contract with Real Madrid and officially joins the Spanish giants today. Stones, 32, is focusing on England's World Cup campaign before deciding his next move. The other two departing players are academy graduates Ashton Muir and Ezra Carrington, whose progress was hampered by injuries.
£550k weekly savings to fund record transfer
According to The Athletic, Stones earned £250,000 per week (£13 million per year), while Silva was reportedly paid £300,000 per week. Collectively, the four players earned around £550,000 per week, freeing up funds for the summer transfer window.
City are set to reinvest those savings almost immediately with the signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. The 23-year-old midfielder, who is playing alongside Stones at the World Cup, completed a medical in Dallas on Sunday ahead of a club-record deal worth approximately £116 million. Anderson is expected to be officially unveiled later this week after England's Round of 32 match against DR Congo on Wednesday.
