Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hinted his time at the club could be coming to an end - stressing the Premier League champions don't need him to attract high-profile players in the transfer market.
Guardiola is in his fourth season at the Etihad, where he's guided the club to two Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup.
The 49-year-old has spent close to £540m on the first team since his arrival in 2016, but when discussing his transfer plans for the future, Guardiola played down his role in attracting players to the north-west - instead hinting that the club is able to do it themselves.
"That’s not the only reason they come, because I am here. The club is big enough and good enough to be attractive for players who want to play the way we do," Guardiola said, quoted by The Sun.
"Maybe they watch TV and see us, or we have played against them. They will still want to come because of economic reasons, or because just they want to play for City.
"Man City is not a bad solution for players. The club was stable and moving forward before I came here.
"Roberto Mancini won the title and also Manuel Pellegrini and the football they were playing was really good. I’m not the reason why - the club is good enough."
Although Guardiola's departure would come as a blow for Manchester City, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss was never going to be a long-term appointment for the club.
He only spent four years with a generational Barcelona side after taking over in 2008, while he went on to spend just three years in Germany.
Even when talking about his transfer plans for the end of the season, Guardiola says Manchester City need to buy players who aren't just coming to the club to work under him.
"I have an idea but during the season I am not too ready to think about that," he added when asked about how many new players he wants to sign at the end of the season. "I don’t know how many or how much it will cost, because the market is difficult.
"There are two or three months and that can change things.
"We need players who believe they can help us because we want to maintain the levels we’ve had over the past seasons - not just for the manager who is in position."
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Source :
90min
