Manchester City’s squad is stacked.
Right-backs aside, there’s world-class quality everywhere – even €100m signings and Champions League winners struggle for regular starts.
Pep’s system is brutal; win, adapt, or move on.
But what happens when you walk away from the Etihad? Some careers stall. Others take off.
Here are five players showing that leaving City can be the making of you.
Julián Álvarez – Atletico Madrid
Pep called him “unbelievable,” and he wasn’t wrong.
Álvarez was electric in his debut season at City, scoring crucial goals in the Premier League and Champions League while also lifting the World Cup with Argentina in the same campaign. But arriving in the same summer as Erling Haaland was both a blessing and a curse. No matter how sharp Álvarez looked, there was no chance he was dislodging the Norwegian goal machine as City’s focal point.
Álvarez often dropped deeper, ran channels and sacrificed his natural striker instincts to fit Pep’s system. He did the job – and did it well – but it always felt like he was being held back.
At Atletico Madrid, it’s a different story. Diego Simeone has placed his trust in him to lead the attack. He’s the first-choice striker and the main attacking threat. Álvarez was the hat-trick hero in their 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano, helping Atleti claim only their second win of the season.
Reports now link him with Barcelona as Lewandowski’s long-term heir – a move that would confirm his rise.
Outside of Pep’s structure, Álvarez looks freer, sharper and more dangerous.
Jack Grealish – Everton
Grealish’s €117.5m move to City was one of the most talked-about transfers in Premier League history.
At Villa, he was among the best players in the league. Unpredictable, expressive and a constant threat; expectations were high.
At City, Pep drilled that freedom out of him. Grealish became more of a cog, tasked with retaining possession, recycling passes and sticking to strict touchline instructions. He played a big role in the treble-winning season, especially with his ball retention and defensive work, but many felt the flair that made him special had been muted.
After the arrival of Jérémy Doku and Omar Marmoush, as well as the emergence of Oscar Bobb, Grealish slipped further down the pecking order. A move away was inevitable.
At Everton, he’s been reborn. No longer chained to Pep’s positional play, Grealish has license to roam, pick up the ball in central areas and run at defenders. He’s carrying responsibility again, dictating the rhythm of attacks and showing the swagger that City fans rarely got to see.
Pep polished him but it’s freedom at Everton that’s brought him back to life.
Cole Palmer – Chelsea
Palmer might be the biggest “what if” for City. A product of their academy, he showed flashes of brilliance in the Community Shield and Super Cup before deciding he needed regular football. With Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden ahead of him, Palmer knew chances would be limited. Pep didn’t stand in his way. Chelsea pounced, and the rest is history.
At Stamford Bridge, Palmer has gone from squad player to superstar. He’s Chelsea’s penalty taker, playmaker and often their match-winner. His calmness on the ball and eye for goal have made him the face of a new era for the Blues. City fans might argue he wouldn’t have developed the same way under Pep’s strict rotation, but his explosion at Chelsea shows what trust and freedom can do.
Leaving City wasn’t a step down – it was the smartest move of his career.
Ferran Torres – Barcelona
Torres’ time at City was promising but inconsistent.
He produced standout moments – a hat-trick against Newcastle and goals in big Champions League games – but was often across a range of positions, either wide or through the middle. Injuries and Pep’s constant tactical tweaks meant he never fully nailed down a role.
By the 2021/22 season, he had slipped down the pecking order and decided to move on. Barcelona swooped in during the winter transfer window, slapping an eye-watering €1 billion buyout clause on him – a statement of intent for a player they believed could be part of their long-term future.
Since then, Torres has carved out a steady, if not superstar, role in Spain.
He hasn’t been a consistent starter under either Xavi or Hansi Flick, beginning 61 La Liga games and coming off the bench 52 times.
In this time, Torres has contributed 48 goals and 21 assists across his Barca career so far. While he may never have been the headline act at City, Torres has matured into a reliable attacking weapon in La Liga.
Brahim Díaz – Real Madrid
Brahim’s City career never really started. Signed from Málaga as a teenager, he was highly rated but buried under the weight of City’s attacking options. With opportunities scarce, he made the bold call to join Real Madrid in 2019. For a while, it looked like a mistake – he barely played before being shipped out to AC Milan on a long loan.
That Milan spell changed everything. Brahim matured into a versatile playmaker, driving attacks and becoming a key part of their 2021/22 Serie A title win. When Brahim returned to Madrid, he slotted straight into Carlo Ancelotti’s rotation.
The emergence of Franco Mastantuono has threatened Brahim’s minutes; limiting him to just two starts in the 2025/26 La Liga so far. Should the Spaniard decide to move on in search of more minutes, there would be no shortage of teams after his signature.
The Pep Question
Were these players simply not good enough to start for Manchester City? Or were they stifled by Guardiola’s rigid system and the intense competition for places?
Maybe it’s both. But what’s clear is that freedom has been a game-changer. Álvarez, Grealish, Palmer, Torres and Brahim are all proving that stepping away from Pep’s machine can unlock new levels.
