PEP GUARDIOLA has vowed to leave Manchester City if they do not trim their squad this summer.
Going into next month’s revamped Club World Cup, City have endured their first trophyless season since 2016-17, Guardiola’s first at the Etihad.
Last night the Etihad Stadium said a fond farewell to club legend Kevin De Bruyne as the Belgian played his last home game for City.
Guardiola has admitted that he wants more exits to follow this summer as he prefers to work with a more streamlined squad.
Following last night’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth, the 54-year-old admitted: “I said to the club I don’t want that [a bigger squad].
“I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay.
“It’s impossible for my soul to [tell] my players in the tribune [stands] that they cannot play.”
Having all arrived at City in the last 12 months, Savinho, Abdukodir Khusanov, Claudio Echeverri and Vitor Reis all failed to make last night’s matchday squad.
Highly thought of academy products Rico Lewis and James McAtee also missed out.
Man City’s official website lists 28 first team players, in addition to Kyle Walker, Kalvin Phillips, Joshua Wilson-Esbrand and Maximo Perrone out on loan.
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On City’s bloated squad, Guardiola added: “Maybe [for] three, four months we couldn’t select 11 players, we didn’t have defenders, it was so difficult. After, people came back, but next season it cannot be like that.
“As a manager I cannot train 24 players and every time I select I have to have four, five, six stay in Manchester at home because they cannot play.
“This is not going to happen. I said to the club, I don’t want that.”
Guardiola signed a contract extension to 2027 last November.
City have been boosted by recent returns for long-term absentees Rodri and Oscar Bobb.
By way of comparison, Manchester United‘s squad also lists 28 players, Chelsea’s 31 and Liverpool’s just 24.
Nine members of Guardiola’s first team squad are in their 30s; Ederson, Stefan Ortega, Scott Carson, Nathan Ake, John Stones, De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva.
Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji, meanwhile, will turn 30 in the next few months.
City have spent around £200million on transfers this season, and can be expected to splash out more this summer.
Last year’s Prem champions have been linked with Lyon starlet Rayan Cherki, but have reportedly pulled out of the race to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.
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