Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has refused to discuss specific January targets despite suggestions the club are closing in on three new arrivals.
City have struggled with injuries in the first half of the season and sit sixth in the Premier League table, although their recent form has improved following back-to-back wins over Leicester and West Ham.
Reports suggest progress is being made on deals for Lens defenders Abdukodir Khusanov and Palmeiras teenager Vitor Reis as well as Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush.
Guardiola, however, revealed nothing when speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup clash with neighbors Salford.
Asked about possible transfer activity, he replied: “Don’t ask me about it, because I’m not going to [to answer]. All month you’re going to be asking the same question about everything in the media that concerns us, so I’m not going to talk about it. You can insist, I will not answer because I do not know the situation.
“We know that we shouldn’t go to the transfer window, I don’t like it very much. The situation that happened this season with many, many, many injuries, we have to try to do that because the situation is what it is. But what happens, I’m not going to talk about it because I don’t know.
“Of course I have conversations with the club but the process and what’s happening, I don’t know what’s going to happen because it’s so difficult. And what’s going to happen is going to happen, otherwise I can’t say nothing else.
Was I not clear?
Speaking specifically to Marmoush, he said: “Look, wasn’t I clear in my answer? Come on! I was clear in my response; I’m not going to talk. He’s a player from another club, I’m not saying an answer.
“We can say at every press conference to talk about the transfer window until the end, I’m not going to answer a single question! Don’t go that way!
“In the past, the same thing happened. I made that clear, right? You can try it anytime, no problem, but you know my answer.
Guardiola doesn’t give much away on Haaland
Neither John Stones nor Ruben Dias are fit enough to return tomorrow, although Ederson is available, while Guardiola refused to say whether top scorer Erling Haaland would be rested.
He said: “You will see tomorrow. He’s feeling good, he had a few issues on the first day but we’ve had seven days from West Ham to Salford to recover well, and the situation we have, we need everyone to be ready to go through.
PEP 💬 Ederson is fine and John Stones is not [he is not ready]. pic.twitter.com/UBbYn17EGI
-Manchester City (@ManCity) January 10, 2025
Play against your city
Salford are home to several members of Manchester United’s ‘class of 92s’, including Gary Neville, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, and will come to the Etihad on the back of seven wins in their last eight league matches, a series this propelled them to third in League Two.
Guardiola was quick to praise boss Karl Robinson and his players and is looking forward to a local skirmish.
“I’ve lived in Salford for eight years, so we’re going to play against my neighborhood, my town, I would say, where I live,” he said.
“[I have] a lot of respect for the manager; we played when he was at Oxford and when he was assistant to Sam Allardyce at Leeds, and in the last six games, six wins, so huge respect for them and what they do.
“We will take them seriously of course, as we always have at this club since I arrived, and hopefully we can have a good game and get a third win in a row. That hasn’t happened for a long time .
