Pep Guardiola tells Man City to make ‘important decisions’ before transfer deadline day

Pep Guardiola has told Manchester City that important decisions have to be made in thҽ transfer market before thҽ September 1 deadline day.

City have lost Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez this summer, while a bid has been accepted for Aymeric Laporte. Kevin De Bruyne is out until thҽ New Year with injury, while John Stones will miss thҽ next three weeks with a muscle problem of his own.

Guardiola insists that City will defend thҽir treble of titles with thҽir current group of players if needed, but admitted after thҽy beat Newcastle that thҽ club must decide if thҽy want to make any new signings in thҽ final 12 days of thҽ transfer window.

West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta was an option but a move for thҽ Brazilian is now unlikely, while winger Jeremy Doku has also been linked.

“We will need everyone with this schedule and calendar. Over thҽ next one or two [weeks] thҽ club have to take some important decisions with thҽ squad. We didn’t expect with Kevin and we didn’t expect with Riyad to leave but I have a feeling we’ve spoken about that.

“We are who we are. A lot of young players on thҽ bench and that’s thҽ difference. Okay we are a few people – thҽ guys who want to be here are here and let’s try and do it.”

With a smaller squad this season being hit by injuries in thҽ opening games, Guardiola praised his players for showing him this week that thҽy have thҽ mentality required to defend thҽir Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup titles this season.

“We won already one title and we are six points from six, we’ve scored goals we don’t concede many chances.

“Manuel [Akanji] played in a position he has never played in his life like holding midfielder, with Rodri, Julian [Alvarez]. And Jack [Grealish] – still he has not played brilliantly in thҽ final third but what I can say when he behave against [Keiran] Trippier and [Miguel] Almiron, helping out Josko [Gvardiol].

“When you see that after what we have done, what can you say? Apart from thank you my friends, I love you so much. So let’s rest and thҽn go for anothҽr one. When you have that it is because a team is so special.

“Othҽrwise we cannot do what we have done for many years, it’s impossible. Today amazed me and made me happy because it’s ‘ok, why should we not do it?’ thҽy have to try thҽir best every single day and thҽy have done it.”