Manchester City would be ‘killed’ for Chelsea spending, says Pep Guardiola
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and striker Erling Haaland celebrate winning the Uefa Super Cup.
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LONDON – Pep Guardiola has claimed Manchester City would be “killed” if they spent as much money on new signings as Chelsea have over the last 12 months.
City’s spending since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover in 2008 has repeatedly come under scrutiny,
But Guardiola is adamant their approach had always been prudent, in contrast to the wild spending by Todd Boehly’s ownership group at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have splashed out nearly £1 billion (S$1.73 million) since the start of last summer.
City have signed Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic in this window for a combined £100 million, yet Guardiola was quick to show irritation over the astronomical sums paid by Chelsea.
“I couldn’t sit here if we spent what Chelsea spent in the last two transfer windows – you would kill me,” Guardiola said on Friday.
“You will kill me. That is for sure. We’d be under scrutiny like you couldn’t imagine. When people say just Manchester City and Pep Guardiola buy players, I didn’t know I had a lot of money in my pocket to buy all the players I have.
“We have to see what happens in the market and if we can do it and to pay what we believe is fair.
“We wanted (Harry) Maguire and didn’t buy him because we didn’t want to pay. We wanted (Marc) Cucurella and didn’t pay. We wanted Alexis Sanchez and didn’t pay.
“In the end, we will pay what is fair to do it. Otherwise, we have the academy.”
Guardiola tried to insist he was not criticising Chelsea, but the Catalan clearly feels a sense of double standards.
“They can do what they want,” he added. “I don’t criticise Chelsea for one second. I’m saying, if we do it, we are dead, all around the world. They can do whatever they want.
“If they want to spend, I don’t know, £900 million since (Boehly) arrived, 900 more, 900 more. They have it. The business is the business. They sell a lot this season so they can do it.
“Everybody wins. Tell me the truth: are you enjoying a lot the transfer window? This player, the other one, every few minutes on Sky TV, a new player here, new player there. It’s so funny.”
His Chelsea counterpart Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, refused to guarantee first-team places to their big money signings ahead of Sunday’s London derby against West Ham United.
Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia completed his £53 million switch to Stamford Bridge on Friday, just days after Moises Caicedo was signed from Brighton for a British-record £115 million.
He said: “The players have a clear idea that they need to compete for their place. It’s not that if we sign a player and we spend big money, that they are sure to play.
“I don’t tell Moises or Lavia ‘you are going to play, whether you are good or bad’. They need to show every day that they deserve to play... My job is to be fair with everyone in the squad.” AFP
