Raheem Sterling has joined Chelsea in a deal worth £47.5 million, ending a glorious seven-year stay with Manchester City.
Chelsea confirmed via their website on Wednesday that Sterling has penned a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge, in what is a huge coup for Thomas Tuchel in their pursuit of challenging for the Premier League.
Sterling's City exit had been rumoured for a while and has finally come as the club look set for a rebuild this summer, sanctioning the sales of several first team stars.
Sterling follows Gabriel Jesus out of Manchester, with the Brazilian also heading to London to sign for Arsenal earlier in the window.
The Gunners also continue to be linked with a move for Oleksandr Zinchenko, per Fabrizio Romano, while Barcelona have reportedly agreed an €80M fee for Bernardo Silva, per Gerard Romeno (via si.com).
And with Guardiola now tasked with reshaping the squad to sing to the tune of Erling Haaland in attack, it feels like a real changing of the guard for City this summer, with the squad undergoing major transition.
It feels like the first real transition under Guardiola, and is certainly the first shift since he first took over as manager ahead of the 2015/16 season.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 03: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City acknowledges the fans following the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield on October 03, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
City in transition for 2022/23
Since taking charge, Guardiola has implemented his patented style of possession-based football to an unworldly level once again, leading City to four Premier League titles in five seasons, a first ever Champions League final and countless other honours, all while playing magnificent football.
It wasn't easy in doing so, though, and his first season at the club saw him finish third in the Premier League - the lowest league finish Guardiola has ever fallen to in his career. Unacceptable, we know.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 23: Fernandinho of Manchester City lifts the Premier League Trophy with team mates Benjamin Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, Ederson and Sergio Aguero as Manchester City are presented with the Trophy as they win the league following the Premier League match between Manchester City and Everton at Etihad Stadium on May 23, 2021 in Manchester, England. A limited number of fans will be allowed into Premier League stadiums as Coronavirus restrictions begin to ease in the UK. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
It took Guardiola a year or so - and some hefty spending - to truly make his mark on City, and implement his philosophy effectively. The board have backed him properly, and have reaped the rewards as a result.
Guardiola and City have managed to put together a stunning squad of players in the last few seasons, with world class depth in just about every position. So much so, that City now look virtually unrecognisable from the first XI Guardiola ever fielded in the Premier League.
Guardiola's first ever City XI
Only two players remain from the lineup that beat Sunderland 2-1 at home in Guardiola's first league outing with City, which is testament to just how drastically he's been able to transform the club into genuine superstars and a modern footballing elite.
With just two players remaining following Sterling's departure, now feels as good a time as ever to look back at where Guardiola's first City XI are right now, considering just how different the squad looked back then.
Arsenal bid for Zinchenko (Football Terrace)
GK: Willy Caballero - Southampton
A summer that was dominated by Guardiola's controversial decision to get rid of Joe Hart - a four-time Premier League Golden Glove winner - entirely, Caballero was used as City shopped around for a new, more progressive number one.
The veteran Spaniard made a name for himself as a dependable backup at City and would feature regularly in cup competitions, earning a reputation of being a handy penalty saver. He left for Chelsea in 2017 and was an unused substitute as they pipped City to the Champions League in 2021, before leaving for Southampton that summer.
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 11: Willy Caballero of Southampton shouts instructions during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Southampton at Emirates Stadium on December 11, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
RB: Bacary Sagna - Retired
Picking up Sagna on a free transfer felt like shrewd business from Manuel Pellegrini in 2014, but upon the arrival of Guardiola, it was clear his time as a useful asset to City was quickly running out.
He left upon the expiry of his contract at the end of Guardiola's first season and wouldn't play again until February 2018, signing a short-term deal with Benevento in Serie A. Sagna rounded off a magnificent career with a brief stint in MLS with Montreal Impact, before retiring in 2019.
CB: John Stones - Manchester City
One of the two players that remain, Guardiola's plan to turn City into a possession-based outfit was clear, parting with an initial £47.5m to bring Stones to the Etihad that summer.
He's had his ups and downs in the time since, but Stones has come through strong and remains a key asset to both City and the England national team, having developed into a world-class, ball-playing defender.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 22: John Stones and Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City celebrate with the Premier League trophy after their side finished the season as Premier League champions during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium on May 22, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
CB: Aleksandar Kolarov - Retired
2016/17 would prove to be Kolarov's final season at City, having signed back in 2010.
An incredible servant to the club, Guardiola deployed him alongside Stones in his Premier League managerial debut, and would use him another 39 times in all competitions that season before the Serbian left to join Roma. He retired at the end of the 2021/22 season with Inter, after adding a Serie A title to his trophy collection.
LB: Gael Clichy - Servette
Another full back poached from Arsenal, 2016/17 would also prove to be Clichy's final season for City, with Guardiola completely reshaping his back line for 2017/18.
The Frenchman left after six years of service at the Etihad, signing a three-year deal with Istanbul Basaksehir. Now 36, he is currently playing in the Swiss top flight with Servette, having joined in 2020.
MOENCHENGLADBACH, GERMANY - DECEMBER 12: Gael Clichy of Istanbul Basaksehir F.K. celebrates following the UEFA Europa League group J match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Istanbul Basaksehir F.K. at Borussia-Park on December 12, 2019 in Moenchengladbach, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
DM: Fernandinho - Athletico Paranaense
A true club legend, Fernandinho's epic nine-year stay with City came to an end in 2022, as he returned to Brazil to sign with Athletico Paranaense.
Fernandinho developed into comfortably one of the best holding midfielders in world football in his peak, and remained a vital asset to Guardiola right until the end, in a slightly reduced capacity. Huge loss.
CM: David Silva - Real Sociedad
Another undisputed City legend, Silva blossomed under the tutelage of Guardiola and was their key creative cog, while a young Phil Foden worked his way into the squad as his understudy.
The tricky Spaniard was the club's player of the season in 2016/17 and left City after ten years in 2020 to return to his home country, joining Real Sociedad as a four-time Premier League winner and much more. Baller.
MALLORCA, SPAIN - MARCH 02: David Silva of Real Sociedad gestures during the LaLiga Santander match between RCD Mallorca and Real Sociedad at Estadio de Son Moix on March 02, 2022 in Mallorca, Spain. (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)
CM: Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City
Eyebrows were raised all around when City spent a reported £55m on Chelsea reject De Bruyne a year before Guardiola's arrival. How wrong the doubters were.
The Belgian is now considered one of, if not the best midfielder in the world, and is central to any success City enjoy. Guardiola would be lost without his star man and creative lynchpin. As well as winning an unhealthy amount of silverware, De Bruyne has made the Premier League Team of the Season four times to date. Not bad, that.
RW: Raheem Sterling - Chelsea
Despite City's willingness to sell Sterling and his desire to move on and start anew, Chelsea securing his services feels like a huge deal. Because it is. He's a genuinely world class forward who could flourish under Tuchel.
Sterling leaves City having been instrumental in four Premier League wins, and having scored 131 times in 339 appearances for the club. He might just be the man to spark a title charge for Chelsea. Watch out, Pep.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 23: Raheem Sterling of Manchester City during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Watford at Etihad Stadium on April 23, 2022 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
ST: Sergio Aguero - Retired
The man with the most hat-tricks in Premier League history and City's all-time top scorer, Aguero's decade-long spell in Manchester was truly legendary.
He bagged 33 goals from 47 games in all competitions during Guardiola's first season and found even more dizzying heights as one of the game's most lethal strikers as the years progressed, despite struggles with injury. Ill-health forced him into retirement in 2020, just months after signing for Barcelona and scoring his only goal for the club in El Clasico.
LW: Nolito - Celta Vigo
A very forgettable signing and one of the worst Guardiola has made in his career, Nolito's only season in Manchester was a dull one.
Expected to fit in seamlessly as Guardiola transitioned City into a more fluid outfit, the Spaniard failed to settle in Manchester, flopped and returned to La Liga with Sevilla after just one season. He found his level once again, and began his second spell with Celta in 2020, where he remains today, aged 35.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 19: Nolito of Manchester City in action during the UEFA Champions League group C match between FC Barcelona and Manchester City FC at Camp Nou on October 19, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)