DEFENDERS
Gael Clichy – The former Arsenal man has been rotated with Aleksander Kolarov in recent seasons. Not as reliable as he once was, but would be worth keeping as a squad player. Verdict: STAY
Martin Demichelis – Unfairly vilified upon first arriving at the Citizens, Demichelis has turned the opinion of most supporters around. At 34, he’s not the answer to City’s defensive problems, but he isn’t the problem either. Verdict: STAY
Aleksander Kolarov – Manuel Pellegrini needs a new left-back and Kolarov could be the one to make way. The Serbian is not as important a figure as he was under Roberto Mancini and has plenty of suitors in Italy. Verdict: GO
Vincent Kompany – Regarded as arguably the world’s best defender two years ago, keeping their captain fit and finding him a top-class centre-back partner is crucial to City making improvements next term. Verdict: STAY
Eliaquim Mangala – A million miles away from being a £31.2m defender in his debut season after arriving from Porto, but the Frenchman has the raw attributes and it would make little sense to dispense of the 24-year-old so hastily. Verdict: STAY
Bacary Sagna – Failed to provide genuine competition for Pablo Zabaleta at right-back after joining from Arsenal on a free transfer, but was trusted in several big Champions League games and is a decent number two. Verdict: STAY
Pablo Zabaleta – Fans’ favourite Zabaleta was one of several key players whose form dropped from City’s title-winning season, but he remains one of the best in his position in the country and the heart of this team. Verdict: STAY
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