Pep Guardiola is desperate to keep Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva in his treble-winning squad this month, after facing a “transfer tax” he claims rivals have placed on Manchester City.
RB Leipzig defender Josh Gvardiol is on the brink of completing a £77.6 million move and was undergoing medicals at City’s training ground on Friday afternoon.
But with City’s season starting in Sunday’s Community Shield with Arsenal, their manager wants to retain the services of two key players.
Silva remains of interest to Paris St-Germain, Barcelona and Saudi Arabia while Walker seemed poised to join Bayern Munich last month.
With Guardiola short of depth at full-back and wide in midfield, keeping hold of the pair has become a priority, especially because of the “tax.”
“For us to buy a player, just because we are Man City it is £10-15 million more expensive than the other clubs all the time,” said Guardiola.
“The same guys, when they want our important players, first they have to make an offer - and that hasn’t happened.
“When it happens, we will fight to extend the contract and be with us. That has happened with all of our players since day one.
“In the case of Bernardo and Kyle, we talk many times over the last months and even years how important they are for us, how we want them and we will continue to do so until the end.
“I don’t know what will happen but it won’t happen if the clubs don’t arrive at an agreement because they are massively important players.
“When we lose these types of players we have to go to the market for the replacements and these players don’t cost £10 million, 20, 30, 40, 50?
“No. It’s more expensive than that. We need that money to reimburse on other players to make the team as strong as possible to defend the crowns that we won and win games for our people.”
Guardiola has seen veterans Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez leave the Etihad over the summer, although the City manager understood their wishes to move on.
“When you win the Treble, it looks like the job is done,” he said. “Players who are 32, 33 like Ilkay and Riyad say we arrived here to win the Premier Leagues and then people ask about the Champions League.
“Some players feel they want a new experience. I will not be the guy who says no - but they have to make an agreement with the important part of the club, the business. Make a deal and it happens.”
Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic remains Guardiola’s only summer signing to date - a contrast to last season’s runners-up Arsenal who have had a productive window so far, including the arrival of former City target Declan Rice.
And while Guardiola expects plenty of challengers as he aims to become the first manager to ever win four consecutive Premier League titles, he believes his former assistant Mikel Arteta has Arsenal back on the path to their former glories.
“They didn’t buy players to make the squad bigger, they bought starting XI players,” said Guardiola.
“I could not expect different. Newcastle have done it, Liverpool a bit less but with Henderson and Fabinho gone they will go to the market again, United do it again. It’s normal. Every season, the teams want to do better.
“Arsenal have been there since Arsene Wenger installed the club in that position. I’m very happy that he has the statue at the Emirates that Wenger deserved because he changed many things in English football.
“His influence was massive - maybe the greatest in terms of come to the board and brought something new that maybe wasn’t here.
“Maybe the style dropped in the last years but Mikel brought them again to where they have been.”
