Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand, has accused Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, of being dishonest about the Premier League champions' January transfer plans. This accusation came after a pre-match conversation between the two before Man City's clash against Newcastle.
Before kick-off against Newcastle on Saturday evening, Guardiola had a chat with Ferdinand and other TNT Sports pundits. During this discussion, he touched on the possibility of adding new players to his squad during the ongoing January transfer window.
Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, said:
"Where we come from is not bad, maybe we could be a little bit flat or relaxed whereas last season it was completely opposite. We could be better, we could be worse but I can’t complain. The Premier League in the end, you deserve the position that you deserve to be, but there is still a long way to go.”
Despite not having as strong a start to their campaign as they would have liked and missing Erling Haaland due to injury setbacks, Manchester City has yet to make any transfers this month. Instead of bringing in new talent immediately, faith has been placed in existing team members for their title battle with Liverpool and Arsenal.
Guardiola confessed that he was not entirely satisfied with his squad or how the campaign was progressing overall. At that point in time, Man City sat third in the table and were trailing leaders Liverpool by five points before their away trip for the Newcastle fixture.
City are expected to make moves in the January window with Phillips tipped to leave
Following this admission from Guardiola about wanting his team to be performing better than it currently is, Ferdinand felt it necessary to ask if there were plans for any imminent transfers aimed at addressing these concerns.
When asked about dipping into the transfer market soon by Ferdinand during their conversation on TNT Sports broadcasted show , "I don’t think so," was what Guardiola responded. He further claimed that he was content with his current options within the team.
However, after ending their discussion and reflecting upon it later on air, TNT Sports pundit, Ferdinand expressed skepticism over these claims made by Guardioala .
Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, said:
"He’s definitely lying. They are in the market for someone."
While only time will reveal the truth about Manchester City's transfer plans, one player who is expected to leave the Etihad soon is Kalvin Phillips. He is reportedly seeking regular playing time elsewhere.
This incident has sparked a debate among sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike, as they eagerly wait to see if Guardiola's words hold true or if Ferdinand's accusations are justified. Regardless of the outcome, this situation adds an intriguing layer of drama to an already exciting Premier League season.
