Transfer Centre

Pep Guardiola vows to decrease spending

By Neil Wilkes, Editor-in-chief | 11 August 2017

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola promises to reduce his transfer spending in future years after splashing out almost £400m in just 13 months.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has claimed that he will spend significantly less in the transfer market next summer after splashing out almost £400m in the last 13 months.

Following his arrival at the Etihad last year, the Spaniard spent £171.5m on new players but could only guide the club to third in the Premier League, 15 points behind champions Chelsea.

So far this summer Guardiola has spent a further £210m on five new players - including more than half of that amount on three new defenders - but he has vowed that in future transfer windows, the club will only bring in "one, two, maybe three players".

"We had one of the oldest teams in the Premier League so we decided to put energy in the team for the next five, six years," he told reporters today.

"We have spent of course, but all the teams have spent. In the market we will see what happens until the end of August.

"Hopefully next season I will be here and we are not going to spend how we have this season.

"In the next few years City will buy one, two, maybe three players. [The current players] are young and will stay for the future."

City are still thought to be in the market for Arsenal playmaker Alexis Sanchez, highly-rated Middlesbrough defender Ben Gibson and Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets this summer.