Pep Guardiola has told Manchester City that important decisions have to be made in the transfer market before the September 1 deadline day. City have lost Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez this summer, while a bid has been accepted for Aymeric Laporte. Kevin De Bruyne is out until the New Year with injury, while John Stones will miss the next three weeks with a muscle problem of his own. Guardiola insists that City will defend their treble of titles with their current group of players if needed, but admitted after they beat Newcastle that the club must decide if they want to make any new signings in the final 12 days of the transfer window. West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta was an option but a move for the Brazilian is now unlikely, while winger Jeremy Doku has also been linked.
Pep Guardiola said: “We will need everyone with this schedule and calendar. Over the next one or two [weeks] the club have to take some important decisions with the squad. We didn’t expect with Kevin and we didn’t expect with Riyad to leave but I have a feeling we’ve spoken about that. We are who we are. A lot of young players on the bench and that’s the difference. Okay we are a few people – the guys who want to be here are here and let’s try and do it.”
With a smaller squad this season being hit by injuries in the opening games, Guardiola praised his players for showing him this week that they have the mentality required to defend their Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup titles this season.
Pep Guardiola said: “We won already one title and we are six points from six, we’ve scored goals we don’t concede many chances. Manuel [Akanji] played in a position he has never played in his life like holding midfielder, with Rodri, Julian [Alvarez]. And Jack [Grealish] – still he has not played brilliantly in the final third but what I can say when he behave against [Keiran] Trippier and [Miguel] Almiron, helping out Josko [Gvardiol]. When you see that after what we have done, what can you say? Apart from thank you my friends, I love you so much. So let’s rest and then go for another one. When you have that it is because a team is so special. Otherwise we cannot do what we have done for many years, it’s impossible. Today amazed me and made me happy because it’s ‘ok, why should we not do it?’ They have to try their best every single day and they have done it.”
