Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola stated on Saturday that his club will need to offload some players this summer for the benefit of the stars themselves.
The Premier League team signed several players ahead of the Club World Cup, resulting in a bloated squad for Guardiola to manage.
Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has recently been linked with a potential transfer to Turkish club Galatasaray.
While Guardiola claimed he was unaware of any information regarding Gundogan’s situation, he indicated that several players would need to be sold following the acquisitions of Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, and Rayan Ait-Nouri.
“I would love to keep all the players we have right now throughout the season,” Guardiola told reporters in Atlanta.
“The issue is that they might become unhappy during the season; they could feel sad and disappointed.
“I don’t want that. I’m doing this for them, not for myself. It’s important to assess the situation as time goes on since the transfer window remains open for a while. We must take it step by step.“
In the past, Guardiola has expressed a preference for a squad size of approximately 20 senior players, in contrast to the current roster of over 30 at City.
Before making any cuts to the squad, City aims to clinch the Club World Cup in the United States, where their new signings are expected to inject fresh energy into the team.
They secured a victory against Wydad AC in their opening match and will face Al Ain on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where a win will guarantee their progression to the last 16.
Guardiola revealed that Spanish defensive midfielder Rodri was unable to start due to his ongoing recovery from injury.
“He’s improving. He can manage 20 to 30 minutes at a time. He’s eager to help but we need to be cautious with his knee,” the coach explained.
‘A Privilege’
Guardiola expressed enthusiasm about advancing far in the Club World Cup, declaring it a “privilege to be here”.
He dismissed some criticisms of the competition, using the spirit of South American clubs as a model of how to engage with the tournament.
“I love seeing teams like Botafogo and all the Brazilian and Argentinian clubs celebrating together; their camaraderie is fantastic,” Guardiola remarked.
“I’m certain that for South American teams, especially Brazilian and Argentinian ones, this competition is probably the pinnacle…
“I appreciate how closely contested all the matches are, apart from one or two, and it surprises people when European teams lose. Welcome to the real world, my friends.“
Guardiola noted that Brazilian teams would celebrate with a “carnival for a week” if they triumphed in the tournament.
Following Manchester City’s previous season, where they secured only the Community Shield, a victory would provide a significant morale boost heading into the new campaign.
Guardiola mentioned that both his squad and coaching staff, now augmented by new arrivals, are relishing the time spent together and their training facilities in Florida.
“It’s a privilege to be here… to return in four years, we need to win big titles,” Guardiola affirmed.
“Now that we’re here, why shouldn’t we strive to extend our stay as long as possible…?
“One might think it’s a bother to come here, but I aim to reach the latter stages, and that’s the reality.“
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