Pep Guardiola has played down Manchester City's chances of signing a Sergio Aguero replacement this summer, complaining that the club 'cannot afford it'.
City's all-time leading goalscorer departed the Etihad Stadium at the end of last season following the expiration of his contract. He has since joined Barcelona, although he is yet to be registered as a player due to their catastrophic financial problems.
Since his departure speculation has been rife about who City will sign to replace him. They have already tabled a £100m bid for Harry Kane and have also been linked with Erling Haaland.
However, speaking to TV3 (via Sky Sports) Guardiola said he was not confident of securing one of his targets.
"At the prices (quoted) we are not going to buy any strikers. It is impossible, we cannot afford it. All clubs are struggling financially, we are not an exception. We have Gabriel (Jesus) and Ferran (Torres) who have been incredible in this position.
"We have young players in the academy and we play many times with a false nine. There is more of a chance we aren't going to buy a striker for next season. We'll do whatever we can do in the transfer window and if we can't, we'll still have the squad that has won the league three times in four years and reached the Champions League final."
Guardiola's complaints about City's financial plight are pretty bizarre, considering they are said to be ready to break the Premier League transfer record to sign Jack Grealish. They also have the highest net spend of any top flight club over the past five years.
With this in mind, Guardiola's comments should be taken with a pinch of salt, meaning a striker could still be brought in this summer. City are big fans of Kane in particular. They are even willing to include multiple players in the deal in an attempt to convince Daniel Levy to play ball.
Other (cheaper) strikers City have been linked to in recent weeks and months include Lautaro Martinez, Alexander Isak and Danny Ings.
Source : 90min