Pep Guardiola takes swipe at Chelsea with Leicester City transfer admission
The latest Leicester City transfer news as the Man City boss has again admitted that his club were interested in Harry Maguire before he signed for Manchester United.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has repeated an admission that his club were interested in Harry Maguire when he was at Leicester City, but has said that the club didn’t want to pay the asking price.
After two years as a City player, Maguire left for Manchester United in what was a then record fee for a defender. City received a sum of £80 million for the centre-back.
He went on to be named captain at Old Trafford, but has not enjoyed the best of form at Old Trafford. He has since been stripped of the armband by Erik Ten Hag and did look likely to be moving to West Ham this summer, before a transfer fell through.
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Guardiola’s admission came as he addressed Chelsea’s spending in the transfer window. The Blues have not been shy to splash the cash under new owner Todd Bohley. City again benefitted, earning £75 million from the sale of Welsey Fofana – the Frenchman is currently out with a knee ligament injury.
The Man City boss appeared to aim a dig at the money spent by Chelsea, and the reaction that has got compared to Man City’s spending.
“What I’m saying is that if we did it we’re dead,” Guardiola said.
“For Chelsea it’s easier than for us. I have no criticism, they can do what they want. But we would be under scrutiny like you cannot imagine.
“I wouldn’t be sitting here if we spent what Chelsea have spent in two transfer windows – you [media] would kill me.”
He then pointed to deals, including Maguire, that Man City have walked away from in recent transfer windows.
“If we are able to do it, we will do it,” he added. We will do what we have always done, which is pay what we believe is fair.”
“We wanted [Harry] Maguire, we didn’t find an agreement so we didn’t pay, we wanted [Marc] Cucurella, we wouldn’t pay, we wanted Alexis Sanchez, we wouldn’t pay
“We want to pay what is fair, otherwise we have the academy.”
The admission over Maguire is not the first time that the Man City boss has revealed that City’s price demands were too high for his club. Back in 2019, Guardiola claimed that Man City ‘could not afford’ the transfer fee being asked for the defender.
“We were interested, but we could not afford it,” he said back in November 2019, after Maguire joined United.
“United afford it. He’s an excellent player, national team too, he had an incredible World Cup.
“He’s strong in the air, good with the ball, the build-up, he drives with the ball, he’s fast, so fast. He has all the qualities. Congratulations to United for this signature.”
