WATFORD v MAN CITY BANK ON US
Caballero pleads to stay as Pep gets set to pay the earth for new City stars
WILLY CABALLERO believes the sky’s the limit at Manchester City – because they can afford to buy any player in the world.
Blues boss Pep Guardiola is beginning his cull of stars who won’t make the cut for the next campaign. And City’s Argentinian goalkeeper is desperate to dodge the axe after claiming he’s had the best season of his career at the Etihad Stadium.
Caballero, 35, admits City have underachieved under Guardiola – and he’s desperate for another chance to implement the Spaniard’s plan to turn City into a Barcelona- style Champions League force.
The popular keeper said: “Yes, of course Pep can create something big here, this club has everything to build a great team.
“We are a great team already with fantastic players but, of course, the manager and the director of football Txiki Begiristain have a lot of things to look at.
“As a team, City have no problem with money – so they can afford every contract.
“So now, when we finish, they have a lot of jobs to do – and they are going to do the best for the team and the club.”
Caballero is uncertain whether today’s curtain-closer at Watford will be his final act in a City shirt. His contract is up after arriving on a three-year deal from Malaga in 2014.
But the South American star hopes there’s one more chapter after seeing signs that Guardiola’s methods are taking hold.
Caballero insisted: “I want to be here because this is the most important team of my career. It’s a big, big club for me, so of course I want to stay.
“My family are really happy here, thank God.
“I enjoyed this season and improved a lot and my family enjoyed it as I was playing more games. So we are happy to continue. But it’s not just my decision. It’s the decision of the club and what they are looking for.
“For now I just want to enjoy this final game at Watford and try to achieve our last target to qualify for the Champions League.
Focused
“I try to enjoy every day that I play, because I started as the second goalkeeper for the last three seasons here. “I started playing this season because Joe Hart left and now Claudio Bravo is injured, but I am enjoying it. “For me, it has been my best season. This is the season that I played the most, so I am really happy. “But now I have to be focused. If I was a young player, I probably would maybe feel the uncertainty more.”