PREMIER LEAGUE
Pep Guardiola opens up on potential Manchester City transfer exits
The coach spoke about players linked with moves away, such as Kyle Walker and João Cancelo, as well as his opinions on the window.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola faced the press for the first time since arriving in Japan for the club’s pre-season tour where they will face Yokohama Marinos, Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid. The Spanish coach has a variety of potential transfer deals on the table, both incoming and outgoing, and plenty of the City players’ futures are uncertain at this moment in time.
Within the corridors of the Etihad Stadium, there is a sense of worry regarding the possible exits of some of the players, despite them forming part of the squad that has travelled to Japan. And now, after Guardiola’s latest remarks, the futures of both Kyle Walker and João Cancelo seem even more blurry than before.
Guardiola ‘didn’t think’ Walker might leave
The English full-back seemed to have packed his bags for Bayern Munich and the Portuguese player has one hand on the door handle, ready to leave as well. Cancelo was on loan at Bayern last season after various tense confrontations with Guardiola which caused the club to take the decision to send him out on loan. “Cancelo is here”, said Guardiola, “João has been very important for us in the past. He is back and part of the group. We’ll see what happens.”
The Spaniard did in fact go a little deeper when talking about Kyle Walker’s future, although he did not give anything concrete away, saying “Honestly I didn’t think there [would be] this movement. I think many things are going to happen. That’s why I cannot answer because I don’t know. I want the best for my players and of course the club is involved with that as well. I spoke with Kyle and everything is right - we will see what happens. I cannot tell you anything because he is still thinking about that.”
‘I live with incredible doubts in my head’
Guardiola, away from transfers, was also asked about being labelled The GOAT and what the doubts he has in football, to which he gave quite a philosophical answer: I live with incredible doubts in my head. Not at all honestly. If I had success, it’s because I was at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, two of the best clubs ever, and now we are here building something incredible we could not have imagined when we arrived here. This is why I have success, no more than that... Not this season just in general. In football you cannot be sure of anything. Football itself surprises you every day, many times. I always have the warnings ready.”
He continued, saying that “at the same time, I know the club and the players and that’s why. Now I am not thinking about titles or these kind of things. It’s step by step, we play our first game and see what we have at the end of the transfer window, which team we will have. We arrive in Community Shield and the second final as well, and the first game against Burnley and try not to drop points at the beginning, which has always happened. And we will see what happens at the end.”