The manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola was forced to reflect on how the club tried to sign Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane ahead of the 2021-2022 season. The Spanish tactician admitted that he had to go for the English striker because he was unsure of the outcome of playing without a “proper” striker.
Recall that ahead of the ongoing season, Manchester City made several efforts to bring Harry Kane to the club. But Tottenham Hotspur turned down all the offers of the reigning Premier League champions.
At that point, Kane was desperately ready to join a club that could help him win major titles and City looked like a team that could give him such an opportunity. On the other hand, City had no recognizable striker except an inconsistent Gabriel Jesus after the club allowed the now-retired Sergio Aguero to join FC Barcelona for free.
Even though Kane was ready to leave Spurs and Manchester City were ready to pay over £100 million for his services, the deal collapsed woefully thanks to Spurs’ owner, Daniel Levy who desperately wanted to keep Kane.
Pep Guardiola continues to dominate the Premier League without a proper striker
Despite failing to sign a proper striker, Pep Guardiola was able to come up with a strategy that made Manchester City win games consistently.
The strategy of keeping possession, attacking, and defending as a unit have helped the club to remain top of the Premier League table with 63 points in 25 games, nine points above second-placed
So far this season, Pep Guardiola and his boys have been able to record 61 goals and concede only 14 goals in the Premier League. Only Liverpool with the deadliest attack line have scored an equal number of goals as City.
Most of the goals Pep Guardiola’s team scored in the Premier League this season came from the boots of Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, and Bernardo Silva. The three players who are not natural strikers have all hit double figures so far this season.
Since Manchester City’s failure to prise away Kane from Tottenham Hotspur has not affected City’s Premier League campaign this season, coach Pep Guardiola has no reason to complain.
Ahead of Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur clash scheduled to take place at the Etihad Stadium later today, February 19, 2022, at 18:30, coach Guardiola said he is never disappointed over what City can not do in the transfer market.
“I never was, in my 11 or 12 years, disappointed in what the club cannot do in the transfer market,” the Spanish tactician said.
“I’ve never created a fire here because I represent the club and the club is always beyond myself by far.
“We tried [to sign Kane] but it was far away to be done because Tottenham was clear this is not going to happen. And when it happens two, three, four times, it’s over.
“Now you can say ‘Harry Kane didn’t come and everything is going well but at the time I didn’t know it. When we lost to Spurs and Leicester in the Community Shield. And I don’t know what will happen in the next few weeks.
“The club gave me players and I’m always delighted – and it’s then what we can do together. Maybe if we had a proper striker we would play with a striker but with the players we have we have to adapt.”
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Pep Guardiola says if Tottenham give Antonio Conte time and investment then they will be successful pic.twitter.com/1FElIB4zyC
What next for Guardiola and Manchester City attack
Though Manchester City are doing very well without a recognizable striker, Pep Guardiola might push the club to sign a recognizable striker in the forthcoming summer transfer window.
For a while now, reports have been speculating that Manchester City are interested in the highly sought-after striker, Erling Haaland. The 21-year-old Norwegian striker whose contract with Borussia Dortmund permits him to join any club of his choice that can pay his release clause (75 million euros) this summer is wanted at almost every top club in Europe.
While the speculation that Haaland might end up at City is gaining momentum, Manchester City signed a 22-year-old striker, Julian Alvarez from An Argentine club River Plate.
Immediately the deal was sealed, the youngster return to River Plate on loan for the rest of the season. The Argentine footballer is expected to join Manchester City at the end of the season where he is expected to stay until June 30, 2027.
“The club is always working, it never stops,” coach Pep Guardiola said.
“If five players say they want to leave, we have to be ready. Julian scored three goals in the last game for River Plate and Man City made an incredible deal because he is a player who moves really well, the goals he scores are like Jamie Vardy’s. We’ll see what happens in the future.”
