Pep Guardiola has admitted he might have made the wrong call by deciding not to refresh his Manchester City squad over the summer, especially after injuries have impacted the team’s challenging start to the season.
Looking ahead to January, City are gearing up for some new signings. They’ve already agreed on a deal for Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov and are keeping an eye on Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush. Guardiola acknowledged that he could have been more open to adding players during the summer, having brought in only Savinho and welcomed back Ilkay Gündogan.
“In the summer, the club thought about making signings, but I said, ‘No, I want to stick with this group,’” Guardiola explained. “I believed in the team and thought we could do it again with the same guys. But after the injuries, wow, maybe we should have acted differently.”
As Guardiola prepares his team for their next Premier League match against Brentford on Tuesday, there are more challenges ahead. Captain Kyle Walker might miss out as he’s reportedly exploring a potential move abroad in January, with AC Milan showing interest. Meanwhile, James McAtee is attracting attention from Germany, though Guardiola hopes to keep him at City.
“Kyle is still our player right now,” Guardiola said. “As for James, I really want him to stay. I was the one who insisted on having him here. He hasn’t had many minutes yet, but I’m eager to see him stay with us.”
City fans will be watching closely as Guardiola navigates these challenges and plans for the second half of the season.
