Pep Guardiola desperate to have a striker at Manchester City with Haaland and Kane on their radar
Last summer, City manager Pep Guardiola was turned down four times for England captain Kane, with Spurs wanting £160 million. However, the Spaniard, who has hinted that he will stay beyond his contract’s expiration in 2023, believes that any long-term strategy must involve a top striker. “I believe the club requires a striker,” Pep Guardiola stated. Definitely.” Last summer, City surpassed the British transfer record when they paid £100 million for Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish.
The Premier League champions then declined to spend more than £125 million for Kane, 28, and have gone the entire season without replacing Sergio Aguero, the club’s all-time leading scorer with 260 goals. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and his players will be expecting another raid for Kane, who has 18 goals this season.
Haaland is also in the mix, with a £62 million release clause in his Dortmund contract, although his representation met with Barcelona president Joan Laporte last week to discuss the Spanish club’s interest. Mino Raiola, the agent for the 21-year-old Norwegian star, is said to be wanting a weekly salary of £650,000 at a new club. Spurs are still undecided about whether Antonio Conte will stay in command, which will fuel rumors about Kane’s future.
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Pep Guardiola has been praised for leading his team to the title without a recognized striker, but he has stated that he will not be able to do it for another season. Rather than appreciating the praise, he said: “I’m sorry, maybe I’m wrong but I don’t agree. You say we play fantastically well without a striker because we are winning.
“When we are not winning, you say we need a striker, that I’m naive. In the Premier League you have to play with a striker. We try but sometimes it’s not possible.
“So, we need a striker, I think the club is going to try. It hasn’t happened and we adapt to the players and never complain.
“If you don’t have one you have to play in a completely different way to United, Southampton, Liverpool, because they play another philosophy.
“In England, we are little bit like an exception for that. We have to play in this way, otherwise they are better.”
