Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Stars will come to City whether I’m here or not
have been in contact with others who didn’t come when I was actually here.
“The club is big enough and good enough to be attractive for players who want to play in the way we do.
“Maybe they watch TV and see us and or have played against them.
“They will also still want to come because of economic reasons – or because they want to play for City.
“Man City is not a bad solution for players.”
Guardiola added: “I am here because the club was stable and moving forward before I came.
“Roberto Mancini won the title and also Manuel Pellegrini – and the football they played then was really good.
“I’m not the reason why players come.
“The club is good enough and we need players to believe they can help us.
“We want to maintain the levels we have had over the past seasons and so the club has to be good to convince players and agents.”
City will lose out-ofcontract pair David Silva (right) and Claudio Bravo in the summer, while Leroy Sane will be sold if he continues to stall on signing a new deal.
Angelino is unlikely to return to Guardiola’s thinking after being loaned out to RB Leipzig. And John Stones, Benjamin Mendy, Gabriel Jesus, Joao Cancelo and Nicolas Otamendi must all prove themselves in the next few months if they want to be part of City’s response next season to Liverpool.
Guardiola confirmed there will be big changes if the season is deemed to be a failure.
He said: “Of course, we have to do something because David is leaving and in some positions we are going to do things.
“But I don’t know how many or how much because there are still two or three months left – and that time can change a lot of things.
“There are incredible things still to fight for.
“We are in a cup final, we have the FA Cup, we must try to finish second and two big games against Real Madrid.
“This group of players has done something unique.
“They have won the last six domestic titles here in England.
“I admire them and I suffer with them when they are not able to get what they deserve to get.
“But if it is not enough, then we will have to think about what we are missing. “There has been an incredible level from our opponent, but we have also dropped points we should not have dropped.”