Guardiola ‘squad-planning for Mancester City’

Mark Holmes
Ilkay Gundogan: Borussia Dortmund midfielder linked with Manchester City

Ilkay Gundogan: Borussia Dortmund midfielder linked with Manchester City

Pep Guardiola is already planning his Manchester City squad, according to Lothar Matthaus, with Ilkay Gundogan and Aymeric Laporte reportedly targets.

Guardiola has already confirmed his desire to move to the Premier League this summer, and though the Spaniard says he has not yet decided on which club he will join, it appears to be a poorly-kept secret that he will take over at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola first has a job to complete at Bayern Munich, who are eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after 17 games, but Matthaus believes his focus is already on City.

“Guardiola can say what he wants,” the Germany legend wrote in Sport Bild. “The squad-planning for Manchester City is too important for him to have his head 100 per cent with Bayern Munich.

“That’s a dangerous situation to be in.

“Guardiola will have five difficult months in Munich. There never was true love between Guardiola and the Bayern players.”

According to the Daily Express, Guardiola has already supplied the City hierarchy with a list of players he wants to sign this summer, with Borussia Dortmund midfielder Gundogan and Athletic Bilbao centre-back Laporte among the names on it.

One player that Guardiola may not get to manage is Wilfried Bony, with the Sun on Sunday claiming he could return to Swansea City this month if Manuel Pellegrini can find a replacement, with Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy still being monitored.

City are also said to be long-term admirers of Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema.