“We don’t have that” – Pep Guardiola exasperated by Manchester City transfer decision amid midfield dilemma

Redaction Willow Austin with Harry Winters
Published on 2024-02-05 08:15:00

Pep Guardiola has openly acknowledged that Manchester City is still adjusting to the departure of former club captain Ilkay Gundogan. The 33-year-old, who captained Manchester City to a historic treble last season, chose to not renew his contract at the Etihad Stadium and instead completed a free transfer to Barcelona at the end of June.

Gundogan played a significant role in the Blues’ success under Guardiola, winning 14 trophies and scoring 60 goals during his seven-year tenure at the club. Following Gundogan’s exit, Manchester City signed midfielders Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes, both with previous Premier League experience, to fill the void left by the German international. Kovacic, a four-time UEFA Champions League winner, transferred from Chelsea and inherited the number 8 shirt from Gundogan in an initial £25 million move.

Meanwhile, Nunes completed a £53 million transfer from Wolves, signing on Deadline Day following an impressive debut season at Molineux. Despite the arrival of these two players, Guardiola believes that Manchester City has yet to successfully replace the unique qualities brought by Gundogan.

Guardiola stated, “They’re different. So (Mateo) Kovacic likes to see the game as a holding midfielder, he’s not a player in the box like (Ilkay) Gundogan. Gundo was unique in that terms; he can play in the build-up and then have the tempo, and that tempo is difficult to find. We don’t have that player like.”

“Matheus (Nunes) has another quality, but he’s a guy that always he can arrive to the box, but the intelligence from Gundo is difficult to find.”

City will face Brentford on Monday evening, with the opportunity to close the gap to two points behind league leaders Liverpool with a win in west London. The Sky Blues are aiming for their sixth Premier League title under the management of Guardiola, and their first without Gundogan in the squad. Guardiola emphasized the challenge of finding a player with the same intelligence as Gundogan but remains optimistic about the team’s prospects moving forward.

Read Original article on City Xtra