Pep Guardiola believes City are being asked to pay inflated transfer fees. Photo: Getty Images/Jung Yeon-Je
Pep Guardiola is desperate to keep Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva in his team that won this month's event after he faced a 'transfer tax' he claims rivals have imposed on Manchester City.
RB Leipzig defender Josh Guardiol is close to completing a £77.6m move and was undergoing treatment on Friday afternoon at the training City's base.
But as City's season kicks off Sunday's Community Shield against Arsenal, their manager wants to keep the services of two key players.
Silva continues to be of interest to Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Saudi Arabia, while Walker appears to be up for it. joined Bayern Munich last month.
With Guardiola lacking depth in fullback and flank in midfield, keeping the pair has become a priority, especially because of the «tax».
«For us to buy a player just because we are Manchester City is £10-15m more expensive than other clubs all the time,» Guardiola said.
“The same guys, when they want our big players, they have to propose first, and that didn't happen.
“When that happens, we'll fight for a contract extension and for being with us. This has happened to all of our players from day one.
“With regard to Bernardo and Kyle, we have said many times over the past months and even years how important they are to us, how we want them and us we will continue to do this until the end.
“I don’t know what will happen, but it won’t happen if the clubs don’t come to an agreement because they are extremely important players.
“When we lose such players, we have to go to the market for replacements, and these players are not worth £10m, 20, 30, 40, 50?
“No. It's more expensive than that. We need this money to offset other players' expenses, to make the team as strong as possible, to defend the crowns we've won and win games for our people.»
Guardiola saw Ilkay Gundogan leave for Barcelona this summer. Photo: Reuters/Carl Recine
Guardiola saw veterans Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez. leave Etihad in the summer, although the city manager understood their desire to move on.
«When you win the Treble, it seems that the deed is done,» he said. “Players who are 32, 33 years old like Ilkay and Riyad say we came here to win the Premier League and then people ask about the Champions League.
“Some players feel like they need a new experience. I won't be the guy who says no, but they have to make an agreement with an important part of the club, the business. Make a deal and it will happen.»
Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic remains Guardiola's only summer signing to date — unlike last season's runners-up Arsenal, who have so far had productive window, including the arrival of the former City targets Declan Rice.
And while Guardiola expects a lot of challengers as he aims to become the first manager to ever win four Premier League titles in a row, he believes his former assistant Mikel Arteta has put Arsenal back on track to their former glory.
Fantasy Football Promo < p>«They didn't buy players to increase the squad, they bought players from the starting line-up,» Guardiola said.
«I couldn't have expected otherwise. Newcastle have done it, Liverpool are a little smaller, but with Henderson and Fabinho gone they will re-enter the market, United will do it again. This is fine. Every season the teams want to play better.
Arsenal have been there since Arsene Wenger put the club in that position. I am very happy that he has a statue at the Emirates that Wenger deserved because he changed a lot in English football.
“His influence was huge – perhaps the biggest in terms of what he came to the board and brought something new that might not have been here.
«The style may have faded in recent years, but Mikel has brought them back to where they used to be.»
>
Свежие комментарии