Man City boss Pep Guardiola is having to cope with a centre-back injury crisis with the January transfer window now open
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola(Image: Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images)
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Pep Guardiola has hinted Manchester City may not pursue a move for Liverpool target Marc Guehi this month despite a growing defensive injury crisis at the Etihad. City are counting the cost of Sunday's 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea with centre-back duo Joskvo Gvardiol and Ruben Dias joining John Stones on the sidelines.
Gvardiol is expected to be out for several months with a broken shin while Dias is likely to be absent for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury.
It leaves Nathan Ake and Abdukodir Khusanov as City's only available senior centre-backs, with 20-year-old Max Alleyne having this week been recalled from his loan at Championship side Watford as cover.
City splashed out £180million on players during last year's January transfer window and are close to agreeing a £65m move for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo this time around.
But despite reports City are considering a move for Guehi - who Liverpool almost signed for £35m on deadline day in September before Crystal Palace pulled the plug on the deal - Guardiola is adamant there won't be a repeat of the splurge of 12 months previous.
"Maybe we will get something but it's completely different (to last year)," said the City boss, speaking on Tuesday.
"We are not going to buy four or five players like happened last season to be the (highest) net spend in this country. We are not, but apparently always we are."
Liverpool still want to sign Guehi but are concentrating their efforts on persuading the player to move when his contract expires at the end of the season.
But while the expectation has long been that Guehi would see out the campaign at Palace, any serious interest from City could see the landscape change.
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