Guardiola plans to trim Manchester City squad ahead of new season

According to ESPN, Pep Guardiola revealed his plans to trim Manchester City’s currently oversized squad — this to avoid having players “sad” due to limited playing opportunities.

Manchester City brought 27 players to the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup, including four new recruits:

• Rayan Cherki
• Rayan Aït-Nouri
• Tijjani Reijnders
• Marcus Bettinelli

“I don’t like having six or seven players just sitting at home without playing,” said Guardiola ahead of the match against Al Ain in Atlanta.

The Spanish coach prefers working with 20 outfield players and three goalkeepers. Regarding Ilkay Gündogan‘s future amid Galatasaray interest, Guardiola emphasized that the 34-year-old midfielder remains in his plans while acknowledging some players might leave before the season starts.