City still not done with their spending spree

– Pep Guardiola has confirmed Manchester City are “still looking” to add to their £200 million summer spending spree, although he refused to comment on the possibility of hijacking Real Madrid’s move for Kylian Mbappe.

City have been the major shoppers in the transfer market after splashing out a Premier League record total of £200 million to bring Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, Ederson, Danilo and Douglas Luiz to the Etihad.

But it remains likely that they will continue their haul after being strongly linked with moves for Arsenal frontman Alexis Sanchez

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and Monaco striker Mbappe.

Mbappe (right) has been on City’s radar throughout the summer, although there have been strong suggestions in Spain that Real have agreed a fee of £160 million for the 18-year-old.

Monaco however indicated yesterday the teenager is staying put and might even negotiate a contract extension.

Guardiola wasn’t being drawn on either.

“They are Monaco and Arsenal players, so nothing to say,” he said.

But he did confirm that City were still looking at options, albeit he was coy on whether another striker was on the agenda.

“We have the two exceptional forwards in Gabriel (Jesus) and Sergio (Aguero),” he said.

“The competition (Premier League) starts on the 12th (of August) and the market is still open. That is not good for all the clubs.

“We will see until the end of the transfer window.”

Mendy became City’s latest signing earlier this week when the left-back arrived from Monaco in a £52 million deal.

The 23-year-old is still around a fortnight from featuring in a City shirt due to injury, but Guardiola is delighted to have brought in a defender who made such an impression during Monaco’s Champions League campaign last season.

“He can attack inside and outside,” Guardiola said. “He’s a young player so sometimes you have to pay a bit more for them.

“But we have one guy for the next five or six years.”

Bringing in younger players at the back was clearly on Guardiola’s mind after jettisoning the 30-something quartet of Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna and Aleksandar Kolarov to bring in fellow full-backs Mendy, Danilo and Kyle Walker. – AFP