Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City won't splash out on holding midfielder

Pep Guardiola has insisted that Manchester City are not prepared to pay exorbitant transfer fees in their search for a holding midfield player.

The likes of Frenkie de Jong, Tanguy Ndombele and Ruben Neves have been touted as potential successors to Fernandinho, who turns 34-years-old in May.

City had hoped to sign Jorginho from Napoli last summer until initial agreements broke down and the 27-year-old joined his former manager Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea.

Barcelona, meanwhile, have emerged as favourites in the hotly-contested race to sign Ajax starlet De Jong, who has also attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

City return to Premier League action on Monday night when Neves’ Wolverhampton Wanderers visit the Etihad.

At his pre-match press conference on Friday, Guardiola used the Portuguese midfielder as a case in point when discussing City’s plans to replace Fernandinho.

“A month ago, I started reading – ‘Ruben Neves, £100million’. That is not going to happen. We are not going to pay £100m for a holding midfielder,” he said.

“Of course, all departments in the club, we have in every position four or five or six options – depending on age, what we believe and, of course, the price.

“The most expensive one was Riyhad [Mahrez, City’s record £60m signing] and he is far away from what the top teams pay.

“Our wage bill for the players is eighth or ninth or tenth in Europe, so there are eight or nine clubs where the wages are higher than what Manchester City pay.

“We try to be stable in everything. When we spent a lot last season, it was because the team was old – it was 30-31 years old and that’s why we did it. But we cannot do it every season.

“We have a limit and cannot spend more so that’s why we need to be careful with the players and try next season to see what we can do to improve.”

When asked specifically about Neves and his impressive form, Guardiola described the 21-year-old as an “excellent” player.

The City manager was nevertheless careful when discussing Neves and players contracted to other clubs, particularly with regards to De Jong.

Guardiola admitted that it is difficult to sign players when competing against the likes of Barcelona, though stressed he was not speaking specifically about the Ajax youngster.

“If you are the only one who want players it’s easy,” he said. “But if you want one and many, many clubs want him it’s more complicated, especially if it’s Madrid or Barcelona.

“Normally when you are involved with Madrid and Barcelona you are going to lose. No chance. You have to be quicker and more efficient.

“It will more expensive for everybody and it is what it is. But I’m not talking about the case of the Ajax player because he is an Ajax player.

“There are many players, not just one if it doesn’t happen. Next year we are going to try like we tried last season, to be more stable.”

Asked directly about City’s interest in De Jong, Guardiola said: “I don’t talk about players that are not here, never did and never will.

“He’s an Ajax player but I make a statement in general about when many teams want a player that it’s more complicated, that was [the reporter’s] question. I’m not talking about him.”