Pep Guardiola Admits Manchester City May Not Replace Wantaway Leroy Sané

Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City may look to promote from within should Leroy Sané leave the club this summer, saying the changing financial situation - and the strength of his squad - means signing a replacement may not be viable.

The Spaniard admitted last week that Sané - who has missed almost all of this season with injury - will not extend his contract with the club, and with his current deal only running until 2021, it seems highly likely City will cash in this summer to avoid losing a substantial asset for free.

City's main focus is on strengthening their full-back options this summer, however, as they compete for Achraf Hakimi and Leicester's Ben Chilwell, Guardiola alluded to those 'other priorities' when asked about replacing Sané.

“I think we have other priorities maybe [in the transfer market]," he said, as quoted by The Times. "And I don’t know, after the coronavirus, if the situation economically and financially for the clubs is changing.

“I don’t know what the situation is. We’re going to see at the end of this season.”

City have coped reasonably well without the 24-year-old this term, and although their defence of the title has been whimpering by their own standards, their depth of attacking options has meant they have scored 71 league goals - more than any other team.

And while Guardiola refused to accept Sané's departure is an inevitability this summer, he takes comfort from the options available to him in that event.

“First, Leroy is our player,” he went on. “I don’t know if he is going to leave this summer or at the end of his contract but we have enough good players up front.

“Gabriel [Jesus] can play on the left, Phil Foden can play on the left, we have Raheem [Sterling] there. We have big, talented players up front. Most of them are in good, healthy condition.”

As well as adding depth at full-back, City are believed to be keen to strengthen their central defensive options, and 90min understands that Bayern's David Alaba - who would offer cover in each position - is being considered as part of a part-exchange deal.

But Guardiola says any incoming business may well depend on departures, with John Stones among those who could be heading for the exit door.

“I don’t know that right now," he concluded, when asked about signing a new central defender.

“The places I was, Barcelona Bayern and here, when the club say we cannot afford it, we cannot afford it. But I don’t know, it depends on the people who stay.”

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