Guardiola jokingly taunts rivals on net spend as City prepare for Newcastle | OneFootball

Manchester City aim for a Carabao Cup final as they host Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium, seeking to secure a place in the showpiece.

Pep Guardiola spoke to the media ahead of the game, sharing his thoughts on the January transfer window and joking about City’s net spend compared to rivals.

During the window, Guardiola’s squad saw notable departures. Norwegian youngster Oscar Bobb completed a £27 million move to Fulham, while Kalvin Phillips joined Championship side Sheffield United on loan.

Discussing Phillips’ loan move, Guardiola highlighted the midfielder’s need for regular playing time after injury setbacks.

“He has not trained in the last few days because he was injured. He needs minutes to recover his best. He has to play – some loans are about that. Everyone is desperate for him to come back, play minutes, and be at his best because he deserves it,” Guardiola said.

The former Leeds United midfielder joined City in 2022 for £45 million but has struggled with long-term injuries, including issues with his shoulder, knees, ankles, and hamstrings.

Guardiola added: “Yes, he has indeed struggled, but most of the time it was because of setbacks and injuries. It happens with every player – when you don’t have the opportunity to play, it becomes more difficult.”

Despite these outgoings, Manchester City strengthened their squad in January, bringing in established Premier League talents Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi, while continuing to compete on all four fronts this season.

Guardiola praised City’s director of football, Hugo Viana, for the recruitment strategy but also offered a tongue-in-cheek comment on the club’s net spend in recent years.

“Really good [on the transfer window and Hugo Viana]. I am a little bit sad and upset because, over the past five years, we have been seventh in the Premier League. I want to be first, so I don’t understand why the club has not spent more money. So, I am a little bit grumpy with them,” he said.

Guardiola added with a smile, “This is a fact, it is not an opinion. You can say an opinion is whether we played well or badly against Tottenham. So we can agree or disagree, but that is facts – so good luck to the six teams in front of us in net spend over the last five years.”