“You’re a team full of…” – Gael Clichy reveals hilarious first words from Pep Guardiola to Manchester City in 2016 | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola had some truly hilarious first words for his new Manchester City players upon arriving at the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2016, Gael Clichy has revealed.

The legendary Catalan coach walked into a Manchester City squad at the tail-end of many players’ top-level careers, with the group left behind by Manuel Pellegrini in vital need of a refresh and major overhaul.

With several names over the age of 30, and many more profiles not suited to Pep Guardiola’s vision for playing, the then-newly appointed Manchester City coach was very vocal in his discontent at the squad in which he had acquired.

The likes of Bacary Sagna (33), Pablo Zabaleta (31), Aleksandar Kolarov (30), Willy Caballero (34), and Yaya Toure (33) all played their part in Pep Guardiola’s first season in charge of the club, but would be discarded shortly after.

Speaking during a recent conversation with Zack Nani, former City defender Gael Clichy has revealed that upon first arriving to meet his new squad, manager Pep Guardiola revealed just how much he had noticed of his players having watched from afar in the build-up.

According to Clichy, Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City squad, “I’ve known that I’ve been coming here for a year now and I’ve been watching you, you’re a team full of fat players.”

Guardiola is said to have continued, “With me, no player is going to be playing every game… deal with it. If you’re not happy with that, come knock on my door and we’ll make you leave. If you stay, I don’t want to hear a single word about it until winter transfer window.”

The transfer approach installed by Pep Guardiola in the final quote has remained to this day, with Manchester City always insisting that they would not be standing in the way of any player holding a desire to leave the project.

The latest example of such an approach has seen Bernardo Silva welcome to leave the club in any of the last four transfer windows, on the proviso that a potential suitor was able to make a proposal at the valuations set out by Manchester City.

While that has not yet happened, the upcoming summer transfer window could prove to be very different, with the Portugal international’s £50 million release clause expected to become active in the coming months.