Manchester City insider issues ‘fire in the belly’ warning on Pep Guardiola to Premier League rivals | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola’s new-found energy will no doubt come as a warning to Manchester City’s Premier League rivals, with fresh insight surfacing on the 54-year-old coach.

Guardiola and co made a strong start to their 2025-26 Premier League campaign at the weekend, with new signing Tijjani Reijnders starring in a convincing 4-0 beating of Wolves at the Molineux Stadium.

Manchester City have overhauled their first-team squad this summer and having secured six new arrivals, the Blues have parted ways with Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, Scott Carson and James McAtee, with Jack Grealish and Vitor Reis also leaving on loan.

Trimming the first-team wage bill was high on the agenda of newly-appointed sporting director Hugo Viana heading into the summer, with City expected to sanction further loans and permanent departures before the September 1 transfer deadline.

Ederson’s future remains in doubt amid negotiations between Galatasaray and Manchester City, with Claudio Echeverri set to join Bayer Leverkusen on loan to progress his development with regular first-team opportunities in the Bundesliga.

Sverre Nypan became the most expensive Norwegian export after joining Manchester City earlier in the summer and the 18-year-old midfielder has completed a season-long loan to Middlesbrough.

Tottenham remain keen on signing Savinho, who is believed to be unsure of his future at the Etihad Stadium despite clocking over 3,000 first-team minutes in his debut campaign in England. Manchester City have identified Real Madrid’s Rodrgyo as their preferred replacement should Savinho head to north London.

Manuel Akanji has also attracted interest from Galatasaray, with the Switzerland international’s representatives due to hold talks with the Turkish giants, who will receive encouragement from Manchester City’s willingness to sell the 30-year-old to further streamline their backline before the window ends.

According to sources referenced within a new report from MailSport’s Jack Gaughan, Pep Guardiola bounded through Manchester City’s first friendly pre-season friendly against Preston, enthusiastically discussing how no tour abroad allowed more time on the training ground.

The Catalan tactician is further said to be known as ‘back’ in the sense of enjoying coaching and trying new things with his Manchester City squad, while one source mentioned, ‘Fire in the belly’.

New assistant manager Pep Lijnders is said to be a ‘significant contributor’, with the pair ‘scurrying’ around talking concepts through ‘long after’ Manchester City training sessions this summer.

A much slimmer squad and a major revamp collectively of his staff and squad have revitalised Guardiola, who looked drained out after a miserable 2024-25 campaign wherein his side struggled with injuries and failed to match the incredible standards they have set for themselves since the Catalan took charge in 2016.