Transfer Centre

Pep Guardiola rules out January business for Manchester City

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 28 September 2019

Guardiola rules out January business for City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insists that the Premier League champions will not be active during the January transfer window.

Manager Pep Guardiola says that Manchester City 'cannot afford' to make new signings during the January window.

After long-term injuries to each of Aymeric Laporte and Leroy Sane, City have been left short, especially in the centre of defence.

With City already trailing Liverpool in the Premier League title race, the absence of the duo has resulted in speculation regarding new arrivals at the midway point of the campaign.

However, Guardiola has revealed that City will instead rely on their academy players should spaces become available in the first team.

The Spaniard told Sky Sports News: "That is not my business but in January we are not going to buy because we don't have money to pay a huge amount in the summer so we cannot do it in winter.

"We are going to stick to the players we have, with [Taylor] Harwood-Bellis and Eric [Garcia] and with the new players in the academy. We have young, talented players and we can count on them."

Fernandinho has recently dropped back into defence in order to provide competition for John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi at the back.