Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is showing his mounting desperation as he battles now to retain the ongoing services of Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva in his treble-winning squad this month after facing a “transfer tax” he claims rivals have placed on the club.
While RB Leipzig defender Josh Gvardiol is on the brink of completing a £77.6m (€90m) move and was undergoing medicals at City’s training ground yesterday afternoon, the Cityzens kick off tomorrow in their Community Shield match with Arsenal and Pep is most keen to retain the services of two key players pivotal to his plans for the new campaigns.
Silva remains integral to Paris St-Germain, Barcelona and Saudi Arabia, while Walker is on the verge of joining the ranks of Bayern Munich. This would then leave master tactician Guardiola painfully short of depth at full-back and wide in midfield, which means keeping hold of the pair has now become a top-notch priority, especially because of the “tax”.
“The same guys, when they want our important players, first they have to make an offer – and that hasn’t happened. When it happens, we will fight to extend the contract and be with us. That has happened with all of our players since day one.
“In the case of Bernardo and Kyle, we talk many times over the last months and even years about how important they are for us, how we want them and we will continue to do so until the end. I don’t know what will happen, but it won’t happen if the clubs don’t arrive at an agreement because they are massively important players.
“When we lose these types of players, we have to go to the market for the replacements and these players don’t cost £10 million, 20, 30, 40, 50?
“No. It’s more expensive than that. We need that money to reimburse other players to make the team as strong as possible to defend the crowns that we won and win games for our people.”
Guardiola has been pained to see time-proven veterans Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez leave the Etihad over the summer despite the City manager understanding their wishes to move on.
“When you win the treble, it looks like the job is done,” he said. “Players who are 32, 33 like Ilkay and Riyad say we arrived here to win the Premier Leagues and then people ask about the Champions League.
“Some players feel they want a new experience. I will not be the guy who says no – but they have to make an agreement with the important part of the club, the business. Make a deal and it happens.”
With the current scenario having Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacicbeing Guardiola’s only summer signing to date – in stark contrast to last season’s runners-up Arsenal with their productive window todate, including the arrival of former City target Declan Rice – Guardiola is expecting plenty of challengers this season while he rededicates himself and the squad to become the first to win four consecutive Premier League laurels.
While formulating his game plan, Guardiola also believes his former assistant Mikel Arteta has already succeeded in getting Arsenal back on the path to their glories of old.
“They didn’t buy players to make the squad bigger, they bought starting XI players,” said Guardiola. “I could not expect different. Newcastle have done it, Liverpool a bit less, but with Henderson and Fabinho gone they will go to the market again, United do it again. It’s normal. Every season, the teams want to do better.
“Arsenal have been there since Arsene Wenger installed the club in that position. I’m very happy that he has the statue at the Emirates that Wenger deserved because he changed many things in English football.
“His influence was massive – maybe the greatest, bringing something new that maybe wasn’t here. Maybe the style dropped in the last years, but Mikel (Arteta) brought them again to where they have been.”