On Dec/2, Pep Guardiola said he was happy with his Manchester City squad and did not expect the January transfer window to offer the club any value. Clubs could sign players from New Year’s Day but Guardiola ruled City out of the mid-season market, despite the issues that have emerged in the squad this season. Injuries have cost City dearly and while Aymeric Laporte is now close to a return to full training the damage has already been done, with the Blues 14 points behind Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
Pep Guardiola said “I took that decision, we couldn’t invest in summer, why do you have to invest in December? I like my squad, we have problems with injuries, but if we have the chance to like it happened with Laporte, there was a clause and we knew that the potential of this player because he had played for many years in big stages against incredible strikers and we were convinced he could handle it immediately, and for a long time we could do it but that is not the position, that I think the market does not give us that opportunity and I don’t want to do that.”
Pep may reconsider his strong stance on transfer as we believe they need Centre-backs and a Winger. Pep Guardiola may have conceded that a defence of their Premier League title is very unlikely, but the former Barcelona boss may seek new faces to bolster their bid to win the Champions League. Even with Aymeric Laporte coming back in the New Year, centre back has proven a major weakness for City in this campaign and could go in for a player like Nathan Ake at Bournemouth. Nathan Ake would represent a ready-made star to slot into the side should they meet his sizeable price tag.
