Pep Guardiola faces a season that could stretch to 48 weeks for Manchester City. He’s raised concerns about the demands of a busy schedule, with the Club World Cup adding to the strain. Guardiola also acknowledged the challenge of defending City’s Premier League title: “Everyone wants the crown that we have worn for four years,” he said. “I understand it.” While rivals like Manchester United are actively strengthening their squads, Guardiola pointed out, “They’ve done it for many years, but it’s not news; just when City spend.” This could be seen as either an observation or a subtle jab.
While Manchester City’s summer has been relatively calm, with only Savinho joining the team, Julian Alvarez’s transfer to Atletico Madrid raises concerns about whether City might be weaker this season.
Guardiola responded by expressing his satisfaction with the squad, praising their character and skill. He stated, “I’m very pleased with the squad for the quality of human beings and the quality.” He highlighted the promising addition of teenager Nico O’Reilly and the return of James McAtee from his loan at Sheffield United. However, he conceded that losing Sergio Gomez, another peripheral player, is a setback.
“We made a good transfer market in terms of good financial issues,” Guardiola said. Alvarez’s move will bring in a club record of £82 million. Additionally, City is set to earn around £50 million from the sales of Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Liam Delap, Tommy Doyle, and Gomez, with another £25 million anticipated if Yan Couto’s loan to Borussia Dortmund turns into a permanent deal. This financial success might lead other clubs to increase their asking prices when the City shows interest. “Clubs are waiting with a red carpet for us,” Guardiola said.
There is a recognition that City may need more depth in two key positions, each crucial to the team. The first issue has long been evident due to the heavy reliance on Rodri. At the same time, the second has emerged with Alvarez’s departure: who will step up if Erling Haaland is unavailable?
Guardiola acknowledged the concern, saying, “We have alternatives, and we will see if we need someone.” The squad includes several players who thrived as a false nine before Haaland’s arrival, such as Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, and Kevin de Bruyne. However, there is no other specialist center-forward, and adjusting tactics when Haaland is unavailable poses a significant challenge.
In theory, Guardiola has two specialist defensive midfielders. Still, unlike Mateo Kovacic, Rico Lewis, John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Nico O’Reilly, he didn’t mention Kalvin Phillips as a potential replacement for Rodri. Instead, Phillips was used as a central defender during the pre-season.
Guardiola noted, “He’s a center midfielder, but Kalvin likes to see all the game in front of him.” He added, “When he is in the middle, surrounded by players, he struggles. I think he’s confident at the back.”
Suppose Phillips is seen as an unusual misstep in the transfer market. In that case, City’s challenges with recruitment also stem from specific role expectations. While Alvarez played a significant number of games—54 last season—he was never intended to be the primary center-forward with Haaland in the team. Meanwhile, Rodri has taken on a substantial workload, featuring in 257 games over five seasons at City.
Pep Guardiola Cautious About Spending on Multi-Role Players: Emphasizes Quality and Value
Guardiola prefers not to spend money on players who won’t be able to fill multiple roles. “We will see, but we would not want to spend a lot of money on players who would not play many games,” he said. “If we need someone, it has to be the right price.” Although Alvarez was a good deal at £14 million, a cheaper player might not have the quality needed.
This indicates that City might look for versatile players who can support Rodri and Haaland and play alongside them. Guardiola confirmed, “Yeah, maybe,” said Guardiola. “[Someone who] can play forward, attacking midfielder, winger, or a holding midfielder who can play central defender.”
Alvarez’s versatility was crucial for City; he played as a striker when Haaland was out and as a midfielder at other times. Although City signed Phillips in 2022 to reduce their reliance on Rodri, that dependence has only grown. Surprisingly, they still need to address this issue, as they lost all three league games Rodri missed last season, and missing just a few more could have cost them the title.
A challenge is finding players who meet Guardiola’s high standards and convincing them to join if they’ll mostly be on the bench for crucial games. “Maybe some players think they can compete with Haaland and will join,” said the City manager. “We’ll see at the end of the transfer window if clubs need to sell more players.”
While City’s starting 11 might not need new additions, the squad does. Even if City can’t sign players of Haaland or Rodri’s caliber, there is an increasing need for someone to provide them with rest during the long season.
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