Pep Guardiola has delivered a stark warning to Manchester City, stating he would contemplate resigning as manager if he is presented with an excessively large squad next season.
Following City’s 3-1 victory over Bournemouth on Tuesday, the Spaniard expressed his struggles with the emotional burden of leaving too many fit players out of the matchday squad.
Several senior players — including Abdukodir Khusanov, Savinho, James McAtee, Claudio Echeverri, and Rico Lewis — were omitted from the 20-man roster for the match.
He stated, “I told the club I don’t want that. I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. If it comes to that, I will quit. Please make a shorter squad; I will stay.
“It’s impossible for my soul to [tell] my players in the stands that they cannot play.
“For maybe three or four months, we struggled to select 11 players; we didn’t have enough defenders, and it was extremely difficult. After that, players returned, but next season cannot be the same.
“As a manager, I cannot train 24 players, and every time I select a team, I must leave four, five, or six behind in Manchester because they can’t play. This will not happen. I have made it clear to the club that I don’t want this.”
City spent over £200 million during the January transfer window, bringing in Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, and Vitor Reis. Echeverri also officially joined from River Plate after completing a loan spell.
Thus far, Kevin De Bruyne is the only confirmed departure this summer, although Jack Grealish’s future remains uncertain, having not started a Premier League match since 2 April.
When asked if further exits are likely, Guardiola, who is contracted until 2027, replied, “That is a question for the club. I don’t want to have 24, 25, or 26 players when everyone is fit. If injuries occur, then unfortunate though it may be, we can call upon some players from the academy, and we will manage it.”
