Manchester City will make “a couple” of more signings this summer to reinforce Pep Guardiola’s squad, according to Khaldoon Al Mubarak, president of the club.
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Despite winning the fourth Premier League in five seasons, City have already reinforced their attack by paying 60 million euros for Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund’s Norwegian striker, and will also incorporate Argentine talent Julián Álvarez, whom he had on loan at River Plate after investing 17 million euros in it last January.
But Mubarak, speaking to the City website, revealed that “we are looking to strengthen the areas that we need to strengthen. Every season some players leave and we have to replace them. We will do a couple more. We will try to go as fast as we can, but it is not always there. completely under our control.”
Kalvin Phillips and Cucurella, targets
Fernandinho leaves City at the age of 37, 9 seasons after his arrival, at the end of his contract on June 30, and the club intends to hire Kalvin Phillips, midfielder for Leeds and the English team, in his place.
Another of Guardiola’s goals is former Barça player Marc Cucurella, 23, to reinforce the left lane after his great season at Brighton.
Without obsession for the Champions
City, for all their domestic successes, are yet to win the Champions League and Mubarak underlines the club’s desire to compete for big titles, rather than target one in particular.
“We prepare every season to try to win all the competitions,” Mubarak said. “That’s been the case for the last 10 years. You can’t doubt it in the last six years with Pep, we show up at every game with the full intention of trying to win.”
Guardiola’s contract ends in June 2023 and he has not released a pledge as to whether he will renew. Mubarak also does not give a clear answer. “Pep has never been at any club for as long as he has at Manchester City,” he recalls. “It’s a partnership that has worked wonders. Next year will be another exciting chapter. The conversation will take place at the right time and pace and within the right framework for Pep.”
“We are the benchmark of world football”
The City has won the Premier in the last day and with only one point of advantage over Liverpool after coming back from a 0-2 in the Etihad to Aston Villa (3-2). Everything indicates that next season the pulse between both teams will continue.
“Liverpool is a team that we respect a lot. Like any rivalry, the one we have had with Liverpool has made us both better,” Mubarak points out before concluding: “We are the benchmark in world football.”