Pep Guardiola reveals whether Manchester City will make transfer additions this summer
Manchester City have completed one signing with the arrival of Savinho.
Pep Guardiola has said isn’t sure whether Manchester City make further additions in the transfer market this summer, and admitted his plans may depend on outgoings.
The Premier League champions have signed one player this window in Savinho, but have been linked with moves for the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Eberechi Eze, while Bruno Guimaraes is a player City continue to admire. But Guardiola’s squad, which has won four titles in a row, does not need many major upgrades.
The City boss also prefers to work with a smaller group and there has been little desire for major changes this summer unless there are significant outgoings. That was a stance Guardiola reiterated when speaking ahead of City’s pre-season friendly against Celtic.
"I don't know what will happen in the market," the ex-Barcelona manager replied when asked about City’s transfer plans. "The squad is long enough, if someone leaves we talk about that.
“Of course, until the last day, we have chances. I don't rule out the option to have new players but if anyone leaves, I think 85, 90, 95 percent we will have the same squad.
"I feel comfortable, because the quality of human beings we have in the squad is difficult to be replaced, and the quality is there. But we'll see, I don't know in the last moment if someone comes for some players and they leave, we're going to decide."
In addition to Guardiola’s transfer plans, City rarely pay over the odds for new additions. The Blues have walked away from deals for Marc Cucurella and Harry Maguire in the past, while this summer the club opted against matching Bruno Guimaraes’ £100m buyout clause.
With the additional pressures of Profit and Sustainability Rules - laws which clubs have fallen foul of in the last year - Guardiola said the transfer market is more difficult than ever.
"To bring one or two new players to bring something fresh is necessary,” he explained. ”It's not necessary to put sometimes seven, eight players. You cannot, with modern financial issues, change six, seven players. It's unsustainable, it's impossible. We have to be smart.
"We try - many players want to come here [over the years], but we didn't get an agreement with clubs because they ask for so, so high price. We didn't do it. I have a long, long list. I think we have a longer list of players that we failed to bring here, than players that we brought here."
As for City’s one signing already this summer, Guardiola said Savinho’s ability to beat his opposition defender was a key factor in the decision to bring him to Manchester.
"The impact he has done in Girona has been absolutely amazing. I think Michel, the manager, has done an absolutely incredible job with him," Guardiola claimed. "He can play on both sides, left-winger, right-winger, can even play in the middle. But we need [him] more especially on the wings. His one-against-one is devastating. He is young.”