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Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has accepted the need for the club to sign players in January if their current slump and injury woes continue further. When the 53-year-old was asked about whether he is planning to sign any players in the upcoming January transfer window, he spoke about wanting his current players back in the squad before stating that if there is a need then Manchester City will flex their muscles in the transfer market.
Notably, Manchester City are missing the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri, who is expected to not play for the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury. Apart from the Spanish international, there are few other notable absentees in the Manchester City squad currently, which included names like Nathan Ake, Oscar Bobb, Mateo Kovacic, Manuel Akanji, and John Stones, and it has led to them winning only once in all competitions in nearly a month and a half.
If we need players then we go to the transfer market but I don't know who is around: Pep Guardiola
In the Premier League points table, defending champions Manchester City are currently in fourth place, eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand. During the upcoming weekend, Manchester City are scheduled to host their city rivals Manchester United, who are also struggling for results in the Premier League this season, at the Etihad Stadium.
Ahead of the Manchester derby, when Pep Guardiola was asked about whether he is planning to bring in reinforcements in January, he was quoted as saying, by the Premier League’s website, “No. What I want is my players back - the players that we have. I want the squad that we had at the beginning of the season that were desperately competing. This is the only regret I have, that I don't have these players - not new ones.”
But, at the same time, Pep Guardiola also remarked, “In the right moment, we will see. The transfer market has shown how expensive players are in the past four or five years. I'm sorry, we're not the best in those terms. If we need players then we go to the transfer market but I don't know who is around.”
