Guardiola reflects as Man City stand on cusp of Premier League title
Manchester City will reportedly ask Bayern Munich for Joshua Kimmich this summer as Pep Guardiola looks to bolster his squad. A move for the Germany star would allow Bayern to make Joao Cancelo’s loan deal permanent.
Guardiola will reportedly ‘not contemplate’ allowing loanee Cancelo to be reintegrated into the first-team squad at the Etihad Stadium. The Portuguese full-back is claimed to have caused ‘unrest’ after complaining about a lack of game time following the return from the World Cup.
Cancelo joined Bayern on loan during the January transfer window but the German club are unwilling to spend the £60million it would take to make the move permanent. City have therefore been making plans to negotiate a different way of offloading the 28-year-old.
One of the avenues allegedly being explored involves asking Bayern to relinquish Kimmich in a blockbuster summer swap deal. Guardiola is apparently a ‘big fan’ of the 28-year-old, who he coached during his three years as manager at Bayern.
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According to the Mirror, Guardiola sees Kimmich as the perfect replacement for Ilkay Gundogan, whose contract expires at the end of the season. City still harbour hopes of convincing Gundogan to remain, but wide-ranging reports suggest that the midfielder’s demands do not fit into the philosophy of handing only one-year deals to players over the age of 30.
The Premier League champions-elect have supposedly offered Gundogan a 12-month contract. However, Barcelona are reportedly prepared to offer a three-year deal to the 32-year-old, whose four goals in two games have hauled City towards another top-flight title.
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Kimmich could be the perfect replacement for Gundogan, should his German international team-mate depart. The Bayern star started his career as a full-back but has since transitioned into midfield, largely aided by Guardiola’s input.
City have coasted to a fifth Premier League title in six seasons, taking advantage of Arsenal’s dip in form during April. But Guardiola is still keen to continue strengthening his squad despite closing in on a remarkable treble.
The 52-year-old will be acutely aware that Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United will all spend big over the coming months in a bid to bridge the gap in English domestic football. Chelsea could be a different beast under Mauricio Pochettino, whose announcement as head coach is imminent.
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