Pep Guardiola confirms Manchester City will try to invest in January transfer window but he “doesn’t know” what will happen | OneFootball

Manchester City will certainly aim to recruit new faces and names for Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad this month, the Catalan head coach has confirmed.

Reports have been widespread throughout the course of the January transfer window thus far linking the Premier League champions with interest in players across a number of positions, however concrete bids or developments are yet to arrive after the first week of the market.

In the defensive positions, Lens’ Abdukodir Khusanov has emerged as a primary target in the centre of defence whilst Atalanta’s Ederson is believed to be of interest in central midfield, and Omar Marmoush attracting admiration for the forward roles.

Manchester City will be hoping that any new recruits that come into Pep Guardiola’s options for the remainder of the season will drastically turn around their quality of performances and improve hopes of silverware aside from the Premier League.

Speaking during a recent press conference, Guardiola was quizzed on whether new signings can now be seen as a necessity, despite the club not wanting to sign new players for the sake of recruitment.

“In some positions, but what I’m saying is one target comes on loan for six months and can help us in that period. Of course that is completely different when you have to sign a player for the next many years, and that is not because now we are in that position,” he explained.

On whether Manchester City are considering temporary agreements with players, Guardiola insisted, “At the moment, no. We’re going to try to add but I don’t know what’s going to happen, because the market has started and I don’t know what happens until the end.”

A hypothetical situation was then put to the 53-year-old, and whether if he could only sign one new player for his Manchester City squad this month, what position that player would operate in.

“I would say I think it doesn’t matter,” Guardiola said. “We can adjust, some players in different positions. I want the players fit, get the best level, because I said to them many times, ‘I know your level, I was with you every three days, over eight years, and we need that level’.

“And that’s why this is the most important thing for the injuries and for the players that are fit, this is what I’m looking for. And after that, the market and one can come and play, he will help us and we need players in different positions, because we had a lot of injuries.

“And these injuries are again, and again, and again. And that’s why we have to take a look. But the market is not easy, and right now I’m thinking I don’t know what is going to happen.”

Manchester City return to action this weekend after back-to-back victories for the first time in over two months by taking on Salford City in the third round of the FA Cup at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday evening.

Guardiola may also be asked for some form of update on the club’s transfer activity when he faces the media during his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon at the City Football Academy.