Pep Guardiola confirms Man City's transfer plans after Sergio Gomez signing
By Tom Gott
Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Sergio Gomez will likely be Manchester City's final signing this summer.
The reigning Premier League champions have been hunting for a new left-back all summer and had tried to bring in Marc Cucurella from Brighton, but a reluctance to meet the Seagulls' price tag saw Chelsea win the race for his signature.
While all that was going on, City struck a deal to sign 21-year-old Gomez from Anderlecht and had planned to loan him out for the coming season, but a failure to find an alternative has seen City commit to keeping Gomez around.
"The moment we couldn't go through with Cucurella because the club decide we wouldn't pay this amount of money for this player, I said 'okay', think about the idea we had before to loan Sergio," Guardiola told a press conference.
"We spent time to watch him more. I said 'okay, it is perfect for everything - the price, young player, desire - okay, go for it'.
"He was a No.10 like Alex Zinchenko, now he adapt in that position. When that happens, [Johan] Cruyff told me all the time that when a winger can play at left-back they will be the best left-back. When a holding midfielder can play as a central defender, they will be the best central defender. It's difficult for players from behind to play forward but not difficult for players to play back.
"He was No.10 but had the quality to do it in the small pockets in the middle. After we know him a little bit as a person, and convince him the way he comes. I like when players come here that it's a dream because they give everything for us.
"He's so young, open to learn, I spoke with Vinny [Vincent Kompany, former Anderlecht manager] about him. He has to improve in some departments, that's why he's 21 and he's going to improve but he's perfect for what we need."
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With a new left-back soon to be added to the squad, Guardiola confirmed City's business is likely done.
"I'm very, very pleased with the team. It's not [big] in terms of numbers but there is incredible versatility and they all have huge quality - even the young academy lads," he said. "The quality is there, they just have to push each other to the next step this season.
"If nobody moves, I think nobody's coming in. Now I have the feeling that if we have a problem with Kyle [Walker] and Joao [Cancelo] we have players who can replace them. That's why Sergio comes. Even Nathan [Ake] can play there.
"In the right you have Kyle, Joao, John [Stones] and maybe Rico [Lewis]. We don't have a big squad but we have some players who play in different positions quite well. That's why the moment we decide for Sergio, the debate for another left-back was over."