“I love all of them” – Pep Guardiola admits difficulty in offloading Manchester City stars | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted to the difficulty of offloading names from his expanded squad this summer, with just a handful of days left in the market.

City have undergone a significant clearout in the ongoing transfer window, with each of Kevin De Bruyne, Scott Carson, Kyke Walker and James McAtee leaving permanently after a trophyless 2024-25 campaign.

Jack Grealish and Vitor Reis have joined Everton and Girona respectively on loan for the season, with the Manchester City keen to trim the first-team wage bill this summer following the appointment of Hugo Viana as director of football.

Claudio Echeverri and summer signing Sverre Nypan are also expected to go out on loan, with Kalvin Phillips still surplus to requirements after returning from a season-long loan at Ipswich Town, who were relegated to the EFL Championship in the recent Premier League campaign.

Speaking in a press conference prior to his side’s Premier League opening day win at Wolves on Saturday, Guardiola admitted that further exits are required from his squad before the September 1 transfer deadline – but did admit to finding it difficult to let go of certain names due to his attachment to such figures.

“Yeah, we have a few (players who should leave), we have a little bit. But I think many clubs it’s happened the same, right? But yeah, we should (sell more players),” Guardiola said in the days leading to a convincing 4-0 thrashing of Wolves at the Molineux Stadium.

“But it’s difficult because I love all of them, I like all of them, and they like to be here and the situation is not easy.”

Guardiola is waiting on the likes of Rodri, Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic to return to fitness in the near future, which means spaces in his squad will be few and far between and fringe players could benefit from seeking regular minutes elsewhere.

The Manchester City manager added: “But they know it; we have a lot of players. And there will be two players (in the stands against Wolves, excluded from the matchday squad), and if the players come back (from injury) there will be four or five at home.

“Of course it’s not the ideal situation, but at the same time we have a lot, a lot, a lot of games, every season it’s more and more, and you have to have enough of a squad to compete in every single game.”

When quizzed on whether he has a certain number in mind or how many City players he expects to leave between now and the end of the summer transfer window, Guardiola said: “No, no, I don’t know. At the end, with three weeks (to go in the market), I know the market in Saudi Arabia is a little bit longer.

“I think it happens in many, many, many teams, that they have a big squad and they have to move them because all the managers like to work in the right number of people, because they deserve to play all the players.

“And when the players are at home, what sense? But they have to find the balance and the desire of the club, and especially the players, and after we’ll decide.”