The Manchester City manager has 37 first-team players but has
just over a month to meet the new requirement for a maximum 25-man
squad.
It means the likes of Craig Bellamy, who has been linked with
Spurs, Nigel De Jong, bought for £16m, and the unsettled Stephen
Ireland could all leave for knockdown prices before the squad list
is submitted to the Premier League on September 1.
And with Mancini, who has assessed his playing staff during
City's pre-season tour of the United States, set to conclude a deal
for Aston Villa's James Milner, he is desperate to get the bulk of
those players out of the door at Eastlands within 20
days.
He said: "I know that we must sell some players because in 20
days we must have a list with 25 players. I am disappointed because
some players must change teams now. It is difficult for them to
play for us.
"When you play in four competitions you must have a large squad
because if not you have difficulties. For this it's important we
have 25 players."
The new rule is that each club must register a squad of 25
players with the Premier League - eight of which must be 'home
grown'.
To qualify as 'home grown', players must have played for at
least three seasons before reaching 21 with a club affiliated to
either the English or Welsh FA.
Once registered, only these 25 players can feature in Premier
League games until the next transfer window, although players who
are still under 21 do not have to be registered and can still
play.
City have bought mainly experienced players as they attempt to
gatecrash the Premier League elite. Now they have a list of around
a dozen players for whom they would listen to offers.
Bellamy, a £14m buy from West Ham, is rated at only £4m,
while Ireland made it clear at the end of last season that he
wanted out.
He is valued at between £12-15m and has attracted interest from
Aston Villa as well as admiring glances from Sir Alex Ferguson at
Manchester United.
Wayne Bridge's position has also come under threat following
this week's £17m signing of left-back Alexsander Kolarov from
Lazio. The former Chelsea and England defender was signed for £10m
in January 2009 but will not be happy at being second
choice.
Brazilian superstar Robinho, bought from Real Madrid for a
record £32.5m on the day of the Abu Dhabi Group's takeover in
August 2008, is still out on loan at Santos and has no intention of
rejoining City before finding a new club. City could be looking at
taking a hit of up to £15m if, as expected, they sell him for less
than £20m.
The squad is overstocked in the defensive midfield position,
which has led to talk that Dutch World Cup hero De Jong may move
on. The player was signed from Hamburg in January 2009 but must now
compete with new signing Yaya Toure, England international Gareth
Barry and even Patrick Vieira for a place in Mancini's starting
side.
Pablo Zabaleta and Vincent Kompany were also bought as defensive
midfielders when they arrived at Eastlands just weeks before the
takeover.
England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips, not a regular starter
under Mancini, is another tipped for a possible departure after the
breakdown of his contract talks. Wright-Phillips is two years
through a four-year deal and has turned down an extension worth
£70,000 a week after initially demanding £100,000 a week.
Academy graduate Nedum Onuoha and former England prodigy Micah
Richards are also likely to leave before the season kicks off at
Spurs on August 14.
Onuoha said at the end of last season that he doesn't think
Mancini appreciates him, while Richards has not shown the form in
the past two years that propelled him into Steve McClaren's England
side at just 17.
Sunderland, Spurs, Everton and Aston Villa have shown interest
in the pair and City would be happy to receive around £12m for
both.
Not all the players on the list will leave and Mancini will try
to trim his squad by sending young fringe players such as Vladimir
Weiss, Kelvin Etuhu, Greg Cunningham and the talented Michael
Johnson out on loan to gain first-team experience.
Brazilian striker Jo, a disastrous £18m signing in the weeks
leading up to the Abu Dhabi buyout, is not wanted and City will be
lucky to recoup a fraction of their outlay. Ecuadorian striker
Felipe Caicedo has also been told to find another club.
The expected losses, which could top £40m, emphasise the club's
lack of awareness in the transfer market during the first 18 months
of the takeover.
As well as Robinho, it is widely accepted they paid over the
odds for Joleon Lescott, at £24m, Roque Santa Cruz, who cost
£17.5m, and Kolo Toure, who did not impress in his first season
after leaving Arsenal for £16m.
The jury is still out on Emmanuel Adebayor, who also arrived
from the Emirates last summer - for £25m - after he scored just 14
goals last term.