Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says the club “definitely” need to sign a striker despite being top of the Premier League while rarely picking anyone in a traditional striker’s role.
Guardiola’s side have played without a recognised centre forward throughout the current campaign after Argentine Sergio Aguero left the club at the end of the last campaign.
Man City spent months pursuing Harry Kane after being told Erling Haaland was unavailable, but were knocked back by Tottenham four times before giving up that pursuit.
Having looked into the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, City opted against bringing anyone in and have adapted without a recognised No.9.
“I think the club needs a striker, definitely,” Guardiola was quoted as saying by the BBC ahead of Sunday’s derby at home to Manchester United.
“You say we play fantastically well without a striker because we are winning. When we are not winning, you say we need a striker, [that] I’m naive. How do these guys play without a striker? In the Premier League you have to play with a striker.
“We try but sometimes it’s not possible. We have 14, 15, 16 players and after five/six in the academy who are top, top players, I love to work with that, everybody’s involved. It’s difficult for me to be a manager with 18, 19, 20 top-class players and, every weekend, nine or 10 players in the [stands], it’s impossible to handle it for a long, long time.
“We need a striker, I think the club is going to try, it hasn’t happened but in the end we adapt. We adapt to the players and never complain; they are too good for me, I admire them and I like to work with them.
“If we have a striker, we play in a different way but if you don’t have it you have to adapt with the quality that we have. If you don’t have one you have to play in a completely different way to United, Southampton, Liverpool, because they play another philosophy. In England, we are little bit like an exception for that. We have to play in this way, otherwise they are better.”
These Guardiola’s comments were shared on Twitter by City Xtra and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters.
“Spot on pep lad, you’d have to be a simpleton to think we don’t need a striker.”
Credit: @Kippax752
“Sign Haaland or Kane then.”
Credit: @mcfcjameswiz
“We’re scoring less goals than we do when he had a striker. Using other teams as reference is lame.”
Credit: @UnMijis
“Not try, we MUST buy a striker.”
Credit: @MancLocal7
“Pep just get Haaland.”
Credit: @AJMCFC_
“Tell Txiki to buy Haaland.”
Credit: @mxnciteh
“Haaland or Lewandowski please.”
Credit: @JMC_OfficiaI
Despite not using striker, City lead the table by just three points from Liverpool and have an inferior goal difference compared to Juergen Klopp’s side.
Guardiola’s team have netted 64 times in 27 games so far this season, seven fewer than Liverpool.
