Pep Guardiola has claimed that Manchester City have no targets going into the January transfer window, and that they will not be adding to their current quota, despite the fact that they trail Arsenal in the Premier League table.
The Citizens have won the last two editions of the English top flight, but opted to change things up this year by playing with an out and out striker in Erling Haaland. While his signing has been a massive coup, that hasn’t seen they take a grip on top spot in the division as they have previously, and actually trailed by five points on Christmas Day.
While City look to have a battle on their hands for the title, their manager has claimed that they will not be looking to strengthen their playing squad during the January window, in contrast to Arsenal who have promised to be active.
“I think we’re not going to sign any player in January, so we’re going to finish this way,” Pep Guardiola said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen but since I arrived from Abu Dhabi, with Txiki Begiristain and everyone, there wasn’t any name on the table.”
The Gunners are being linked with bringing in a forward, possibly in the shape of Joao Felix or Mykhalo Mudryk according to rumours, while a midfielder isn’t ruled out given our long-standing interest in Youri Tielemans, although our CM area has proven to be one of our strongest so far this term.
Given City’s strength in depth, I think it is hardly a surprise that they are willing to stick with their current quota, and given our limited playing numbers, it also makes sense for us to be active. It is likely safer to play it the way Pep is however, given that bringing in the wrong type of character could disrupt the backroom on occasion, but given our record with our selective transfer activity in recent windows, it is hard to feel negative about anything that our club does.
Overall we are both likely to be doing the right thing for our own clubs, but who will prevail at the end of the season, time will tell…
Where do you think City should be looking to improve their squad? Do you think they are right to stick with what they have despite falling behind?
Patrick
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Falling behind? The gap was 5 points, but may well be again by tonight.
TBH they don’t really need strengthening. If we can add 1 or 2 in Jan, and they hit the ground running, we are in course to get top 4. This was our aim at the start of the season and will still be an achievement after a disastrous few years. If we do add 2, and then another 1 or 2 in the summer, plus tie our youngsters down to long term contracts. I really feel we will be contenders next year. I’m not playing our chances down this year, I’m just trying to not be to presumptuous that cos we are top we are in the running. Yes we are, but there are stronger squads out there, and we are closing in. COYG keep trusting the process.
Oh PATRICK! Whyever are you asking GOONERS where we think CITY can improve their team??
Moving on from your regular hopelessly wrong last sentence questions, I add this : it is clear to all who choose to think properly, that no club can be more effective than when they ALREADY have a very full complete squad of top level players, as CITY already HAVE.
ARSENAL ON THE OTHER HAND, STILL LACKS MUCH DEPTH OF TOP CLASS TALENT, so WE urgently need far more players of top level quality in most team areas.
News about city, I dnt knw what to do with this one
Was wondering at what stage the mind games would start,
Pep Guardiola claim Arsenal could be out of sight soon, speaking a few hours before kick off. surely he dosen’t believe that.
We are going to need all the mental strength going forward
City are a fantastic side with Haarland. He is a goal machine. We lack a Striker or scorer anywhere near to him.
I’m also worried about Newcastle. They are a fantastic side and will probably get 1 or 2 big signings. They could be this side’s Leicester. Remember we finished 2nd behind Leicester when they won the PL. I hope that doesn’t happen again with Newcastle.
I’m with you on that City are fantastic
Newcastle are still an unknown quantity
ManCity has the luxury of not signing anyone.
Man City made the correct decision, because they have got enough high quality players and two types of CFs
On the other hand, Arsenal have only got one CF type, yet they’re trying to sign yet another LW
If Mudryk is as skilled as Mbappe or Neymar, they shouldn’t miss the opportunity. I just doubt Mudryk is as good as them, based on his YouTube highlights
I think it’ll be great for us Arsenal next winter window if our club sign the 3 top quality new players in: Mykhayio Mudryk at Shakhata Donetsk, Jao Felix at Ateletico Madrid and Youri Tielemans ar Leicester City. Who all are being linked this term with Arsenal for signings.
But in the face of the reported £88 and €100m placed on the heads of Felix and Mudryk by their club sides as asking fees to Arsenal to pay for their signings. Such asking signing fees can’t be met by Arsenal because they are too high to be paid for.
In particular, if Mudryk seriously wants to join Arsenal next winter window as been reported in the media. Let him input in strong terms to his Donetsk club side he wants to leave them for Arsenal next winter window unfailingly.
So that when next Arsenal return with a 2nd bid to Shakhata to sign their player Mudryk. Shakhata should accept to stop looking for more money from Arsenal. Because Arsenal may not return to them with a 3rd bid to sign Mudryk this winter.
But move on to another target to sign. They might instead decide to take Jao Felix on loan by paying his £8m loan fee. But with the option to sign him permanently next summer at a reduced price of £62m if they have to pay his full wages for the rest of the season. So that the whole package should not exceed £70m. Otherwise Arsenal should leave signing him this term.
If Arsenal spend about £60-65m in down payment and add ons to sign Mudryk next winter window. I think that should be more than okay for Shakhata to accept. And allow Mudryk to join us without any further delays to do so.
I would have thought the Brazilian dmf Danilo at Palmeiras will be the new dmf who Arsenal will sign this winter. But if Tielemans is the new dmf who they want to sign this winter, it’s okay by me as a Gooner. Because he’s the Gooners popular player choice for Arsenal to sign since last summer.
Us may not know what hiding game that Pep Guardiola is trying to play at. By pretending that his Man City team doesn’t required any reinforcements in next winter transfer window.
For, it could if they spend big to sign top quality player or players next winter window to reinforced. They will run foul of the FFP.
But whether the already very strong Man City team with their colosus Eriing Halaand at their disposal reinforced or not this winter window.
This shouldn’t constitute a concern to Arteta and Edu to bother themselves .about. As the money bag richer Man City will not be vying for the signings of the new players who Arsenal want to sign next winter. And that a blessing in disguise for us. Unlike the other money bag rich club sides of Man Utd, Chelsea, Tottenham Hs, Liverpool and Newcaste could rival us to gapsumb us to highjack the new players who Arsenal are trying to sign this winter.
Imperatively, let us leave Man City alone for now to focus on our pressing needs and issues until next we play against them.
I’m pretty sure Pep knows more than any of us what he needs at his club so how on earth are we supposed to or even want to answer the question.
Well! Pep Guardiola has appeared to know very well what he’s talking about. When he reportedly said: his Man City team doesn’t need to be reinforced with new top quality players next winter window.
For tonight at Elland Road against Leeds Utd, his Man City team hit Leeds for 1 – 3 away win. Thus collecting all the 3 points at stake in the match to move 2nd with 5 points behind us on the log.
So, it’s game on for us at 8righton next weekend to win.
And I am more than confident the Gunners will take the Seagulls by the gun in the match to down them in their flying. And down them in their numbers will the Gunners do absolutely to remain on top League. And remain there.
is this article supposed to be arsenal fanpage news or man city fanpage news?
This whole thing about buying players is not all about just strengthening the buying club team, it’s some time has to do with denying the competitor from strengthening as well.
I remember some time ago while Van Dyke was at Southampton there was an argument that if he was allowed to go the Citizens, the premier league could effectively become a one team league like PSG in France.
So true Gunsmoke, Juventus had the same strategy in Italy, basically buying a second team in order to stifle the opposition. I doubt Pep won’t buy. City need to make a charge and outlast the opposition. In Arsenal’s case, there is an urgency to strengthen knowing full well that all our opponents will.
Not going to focus on City, a bit pointless.
Our next 4 EPL games are going to be huge for us and our season.
Brighton (7th place)
Newcastle (3rd place)
Spurs (4th place)
Man U (5th place)
This should be our focus and nothing else!
These are pretty pretty tough fixtures…
This possibly can make or break our season for title contenders…
Win against Brighton because we are better than Brighton..
I think we should be beating Newcastle and Man Utd because we are playing at home and I might take point against Spurs at White Hart Lane.
That would be in worst scenario..
Even City has some tough fixtures too
Everton
Chelsea
Man Utd
Spurs
I don’t think its about been right not to bring in any player , I think its about balancing the books and avoid activating the Fifa fair play issues . This team has spent a lot over the last 3-4 seasons and they have a huge wage bill, it only makes sense to to buy this January (a time of over bloated price tags on players) .
As for arsenal, from all indication Mudryk wants to come to us but as usual when these other european clubs hear of EPL club interest they begin to have a boner and look towards milking us dry. Edu and Arteta should stand their ground we shouldn’t pay more than 50 – 60million for him 40 now , 10- 20 in the next two years as add ons .
Now that Elneny is back arteta is right not to buy anyone in that position till at least next transfer opening in August. #COYG.
cities advantage is there is no limit to the wages you can pay. Even though they lose money because of wages that has no bearing on there income for spending because wages dont count against it. they can make 200 million before wages and the club loses 100 million for the year paying out their huge wage bill…by fifa fair play though the club generated 200 million so they can spend that. It baffles me how people dont know this. We on the other hand have always tried to balance the books, pay off the stadium and still generate enough money to buy players and those that say the Kroenkes dont know what they are doing have no idea how to run and operate a successful business.
Man City don’t need any plans or rumours to buy players. They just do whenever they want with money no objection policy. They are run by Middle Easterns. They can actually sack all their scouts and hire spies instead. But still they have a smarter owner than the dummy at Chelsea
Yes Mike, Chelsea are now run by a football novice in Boehly, though City are run by unspeakable low life owners with more money than God. How I LOATHE both CLUBS!
NOT the players or managers, but the owners and how they are ruining what was once a proper sport but is now, in City’s case, a sportswashing criminal opertion.
In Chelsea’s case it is a super rich mans brashly and amateurly owned football plaything.
Finally though, I take issue with you that it is “smart” to be criminal.
You clearly havnt seen who Boehly has bought in to run the football club have you?
Sure he took the reigns when he bought them and wasnt very good but he is a smart business man and now has the right people to make those decisions moving forward.
What position does city exactly need to strengthen??? I guess they could bring in another winger but that wont make a difference this season as they have the quality in depth.
As for us i think Arteta needs to go to Edu and the Kroenkes and just lay it out for them that this is the moment we need to go all in and throw the money at the squad. Five points ahead with the league title, Europa league and fa cup all there for us to win. More then anything i want us to win the league and would be happy to dump out of the other two competitions to focus on that but what if we get the owners to forget throwing a tonne of money in summer at the squad and we go for it now?? The Kroenkes arent in london for xmas because they enjoy it they are here to oversee this transfer window so this is what id like to see. Rumoured we have 120 million pounds to spend in january and i think it would be safe to say they would give us 150 million pounds in summer.
Heres my targets and why.
Osihmen- 80 million.
With Jesus possibly out till the end of Feb/ march we cant risk not having a top striker in the squad and Jesus wont be match fit when he returns so we get a proper goal scorer.
Savic- 50 million.
if Xhaka or Partey go down he steps straight in and we dont miss a beat. We need a player of this talent for genuine cover if we have any real ambition to fight on all fronts.
Mudryk- 50 million.
he is going to cost more but it will be in add ons that will be paid later so we save some there. with ESR coming back and Nelson we dont need to plunge any further for depth there as that will do us.
Danilo-25 million.
This is the one for the future and gives us a chance to get him in and adjusted to his new team and system with little to no pressure to step up and perfom as we got Savic. He is then ready to go full tilt next season and give us again real genuine depth along with Patino.
loan out Lokonga till end of season to try and regain some form and confidence in him but also genuinely evaluate what we have with him. There is a class player in there thats held back by not playing.
All up thats 205 million pounds spent and this squad finally has genuine depth of top class and quality that can match city and any other team unless we have a horrendous run of injuries. In summer we can target top young players to bring into the academy that can be ticking along there for a few years and working their way into the top squad as certain players age or move on and then we can be like city and pick up one or two top players any window in the future if we feel we need to freshen up but with this squads age we are primed for quiet some years.