Man City boss Pep Guardiola wasted little time dismissing interest from the holding Premier League champions in Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar this summer.
One of the unquestioned faces of Brazilian football both of his generation and those before him, Neymar has long been considered one of the most gifted players in the last few decades at the very least, but the 30-year-old superstar could be on his way out the French capital this summer after PSG are said to be open to letting him walk according to French outlet Le Parisien.
In quotes Sourced by Sport Witness, Guardiola was adamant in his stance against bringing Neymar to the Etihad Stadium amid what is another retooling of the first team squad in the blue half of Manchester, with the Man City headmaster stating that he did not want to “unbalance the construction of his squad with the arrival of such a star.”
Pep Guardiola does not want to ‘unbalance the construction’ of his #ManCity squad with ‘the arrival of such a star’ in Neymar.
[@le_Parisien via @Sport_Witness]
— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) July 19, 2022
Such a stance comes in the wake of Man City securing multiple deals for long-term pieces in a retooling summer for the Premier League champions, with Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland arriving at the club along with the return of winter acquisition Julián Álvarez from his loan with Argentine giants River Plate.
The further addition of Leeds born-and-bred England international Kalvin Phillips was another astute piece of business by Man City, while star winger Riyad Mahrez also extended terms until 2025 amid a host of losses in the vein of Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, and veteran midfielder Fernandinho.
Though space for Neymar could likely be made in the City set-up, adding another massive name to the collective could upset the balance as the club will no doubt once again be under pressure from rivals Liverpool and potentially the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United.
If Guardiola remains true to his position in moving away from any deal for Neymar, the Spaniard could be lauded for the faith he has placed in the club’s summer plans though he will certainly hope it will not prove detrimental moving forward.
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