Manchester City

Pep Guardiola: 'I have more power than ever as manager'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 17 March 2017

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola plays down the prospect of wholesale changes to his squad this summer, but hints that he will be involved in any deals made.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hinted that he will be heavily involved in any changes made to the squad this summer.

Reports have suggested that the Spaniard will look to make wholesale changes at the end of the current campaign, with a number of first-team players in the last year of their contracts and others currently out on loan.

Guardiola confirmed that he will be looking to improve his squad, but played down the prospect of a mass overhaul and suggested that he will be involved alongside director of football Txiki Begiristain when it comes to recruiting new players.

"All the managers and sporting directors want to improve and get better. Even the team that wins the triple will still make changes, so a team that does not win the Champions League or gets to the final will make changes. I knew that," he told reporters.

"I met the big boss [owner] Sheikh Mansour in Abu Dhabi and I know the plan. We are thinking [of how] to get better.

"For players and managers, it depends on the results, but I want to be involved in that as much as possible, and to help my team to make the next step and I have more power than ever in my life as a manager. For me it's a big challenge and I want to deal with that."

Captain Vincent Kompany, in addition to the likes of Yaya Toure, Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Jesus Navas and Wilfredo Caballero, are among the players linked with an exit this summer.