Pep Guardiola has told Manchester City that he will leave the club if he is given a big squad to select from after the summer transfer window.
Guardiola led his team to a crucial 3-1 victory against Bournemouth on Tuesday night. The result means the Citizens are now in a strong position to seal a Champions League finish.
A point at Fulham in the final game of the season should be enough to guarantee their place in the prestigious European competition next season.
Guardiola was delighted with the result but wasn’t happy at leaving so many players out.
Abdukodir Khusanov, Savinho, James McAtee, Claudio Echeverri and Rico Lewis were all left out of the squad against Bournemouth as the FA Cup finalists moved to third in the Premier League standings.
Guardiola said in his post-match press conference (per The Guardian): “I said to the club I don’t want that [a bigger squad]. I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay. It’s impossible for my soul to give my players in the tribune [stands] that they cannot play. Now it happened to add players immediately.
“Maybe [for] three, four months we couldn’t select 11 players, we didn’t have defenders, it was so difficult. After people come back but next season it cannot be like that. As a manager I cannot train 24 players and every time I select I have to have four, five, six stay in Manchester at home because they cannot play. This is not going to happen. I said to the club. I don’t want that.”
Guardiola’s comments suggest a mass exodus could happen at Man City this summer.
Kevin De Bruyne will definitely leave the club at the end of the campaign, while there are also major speculations over the futures of many other first-team stars.
Ederson has been strongly linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, and with his contract expiring in 2026, the Citizens may decide to cash in on him this summer.
Bernardo Silva is a target for top clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid, and a lucrative offer could convince City to let him leave.
Kyle Walker is unlikely to return from AC Milan, while John Stones could also depart the Manchester outfit before the expiration of his deal in 2026.
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