PEP: WE NEED TO SPEND SPEND SPEND
Guardiola cash plea to slash the gap on Europe’s elite
PEP GUARDIOLA has told his Manchester City bosses they need to spend big because they are “far away” from achieving winning the Champions League.
It means a huge summer of spending for owner Sheikh Mansour, who hired Guardiola to create history and bring his European knowledge of winning football’s biggest club competition to the Etihad.
For the first time in eight seasons the Spaniard was forced to watch the quarter-finals from the sidelines, City having been knocked out in the previous round by Monaco.
It’s a situation he doesn’t want to repeat – and one he can’t probably afford knowing owner the Sheikh’s strident demands.
Asked how far his side are off from challenging for the Champions League his answer was unequivocal: “We are far away. The Champions League is so demanding.”
It’s why he will ask his employers for more backing in the transfer market this summer as he looks to
mould City into a side which can better last season’s run to the semifinals under Manuel Pellegrini. Already on the radar are the likes of Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, Tottenham’s England fullback Danny Rose, Arsenal pair Hector Bellerin and Alexis Sanchez plus Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He also believes the survivors from his current squad can learn from this season’s disappointment of the defeat on aw a y go a l s following a 6-6 aggregate draw with Monaco in the last 16. “We were able to score six goals in two games and we are out. It’s about how you live and handle the situation. “For that you need experience. Hopefully we got that and it will help us next season,” he added. But as City face Southampton this evening on the south coast a place in the top four to ensure Champions League football is not guaranteed. “We need to qualify for next season,” confirmed Guardiola, who is banking on Sergio Aguero’s goals to help smooth the passage back into Europe’s elite competition. The Argentinian has come in for some flak from Guardiola prompting talk that the pocketsized striker might be on the move at the end of the season, especially with the arrival of Gabriel Jesus. But Aguero received a welcome pat on the back from his manager on the eve of the trip to St. Mary’s. The City boss added: “My feeling before was that he was just waiting to score a goal. Now he’s involved in the game. “Not just the defensive part – he’s helped us a lot – but he is doing all he can do in our process to create chances. That’s why there are no complaints about what he has done after the injury to Gabriel Jesus.
“Maybe now he understands better what we’re looking for. He’s trying and that is what I want.
“When he misses chances, always you can improve, but we’ve no complaints.”
Guardiola is also prepared to forgive his leading scorer for his disciplinary problems.
Two separate suspensions have seen the 28-year-old miss seven games this season.
Smiling he added: “He’s such an aggressive guy... seven games banned because he is so aggressive.
“Maybe next season he plays as a central defender!”