Guardiola admits replacing Walker and Silva would be ‘difficult’ (1:22)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola speaks on how important it is for the treble winners to keep Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva. (1:22)
Rob Dawson, CorrespondentAug 4, 2023, 08:42 AM ET
Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City will do “everything” to keep Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker.
Silva has interest from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain and Walker is wanted by Bayern Munich.
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City have already lost Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez this summer and Guardiola, who confirmed RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol is undergoing a medical on Friday ahead of his €90 million ($98.77m) move, wants the pair to stay.
“They are such important players for us, we are going to do everything,” Guardiola told a news conference on Friday. “It’s not like Gundogan where he finished a contract. We will do everything because replacing these two players is so difficult.
“We lost two incredible players for us in Ilkay and Riyad, who were massively important for us in big important games with goals and assists.
“To lose Kyle and Bernardo would be so difficult, that is why we are going to do everything to keep them.”
There have been suggestions that both Silva and Walker are open to leaving the Etihad because they are keen for new challenges.
Guardiola said he won’t stand in their way if that’s the case, but insists City would first have to receive offers that reflect their importance to the club.
“From day one I don’t want any players who don’t want to be here,” he said.
“I want to work with guys who want to stay and work with staff and players, but after that we have to get a proper offer.
“If we don’t get a proper offer, he’s our player and we want him. If they want him, they will take a plane and come here and talk to our sporting director and CEO to make an agreement because three parts have to be there.
“For us to buy a player, just because we are Man City it is £10m or £15m more expensive than other clubs all the time. If people want our really really important players, first they have to make an offer and that hasn’t happened.”
City kick off their season in the Community Shield against Arsenal on Sunday (10:50 a.m. ET,stream live on ESPN+). Mikel Arteta has strengthened his squad with Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz and Guardiola is expecting a tough challenge from the Emirates next season.
“[Rice] is a really important player,” Guardiola said. “He’s a really nice guy and for the national team, is and will be important. Arsenal bought an incredible player. They [Arsenal] didn’t buy players to make the squad bigger, they buy starting XI players.
“I could not expect anything different. Newcastle have done it, Liverpool a bit less but with [Jordan] Henderson and Fabinho gone they will go to the market again. [Manchester] United do it again. It’s normal. Every season, the teams want to do better.”
