Manchester City will only move for 'special' players this window, says Pep Guardiola
Guardiola claims he is 'satisfied' by City's summer business, despite missing out on Jorginho to Community Shield opponents Chelsea
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Your support makes all the difference.Pep Guardiola has said that Manchester City will only make a late signing in this transfer window if a “special” player becomes available.
Riyad Mahrez, a £60m club record signing from Leicester City, arrived at the Etihad last month but Guardiola’s attempts to add depth to his midfield have been frustrated.
City agreed a deal with Napoli for Jorginho, only to see the Brazil-born Italy international move to Chelsea with former manager Maurizio Sarri.
Mahrez and Philippe Sandler, an inexpensive young centre-back signed from PEC Zwolle, are likely to be Guardiola’s only additions this summer unless a ‘special’ player can be found.
“We will see,” the City manager said, when asked about potential incomings. “If at the end we decide to bring another in, it will be because he’s a special player for the future, not just to add one more player for the number.
“I’m so satisfied with the squad. Now from Monday we’ll be all together we have to see what we can do to maintain the level of last season.”
Jorginho will line up for Chelsea against City in the Community Shield at Wembley this weekend, and though disappointed by the midfielder’s decision last month, Guardiola insists that City have moved on.
“Yes, we were close but in the end Jorginho decided to stay with Sarri. I said before, I want players who want to come here. He didn’t want that,” the City manager said.
“Maybe it was a bit late to announce that but if you decide you don’t come, don’t come. Good luck at Chelsea. English football has an exceptional holding midfielder.
“The blow would be to come here when he prefers Chelsea. Nobody put a gun to his head and said you have to come. We tried, we believed we were so close, we believed it was done, but at the last turn he decided on Chelsea. There is nothing to say. It’s quite similar to Alexis [Sanchez] with United. Nothing to say.”
Guardiola added: “Every player has his own abilities, Jorginho is a special player for the way we want to play. But it’s the same, we’ll try to find one.
“There are other players but the transfer window is nearly done and we’ll decide in five or six days and if not we stay with the players we have.”
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