Pep Guardiola has stunned Manchester City chiefs with the bold proclamation that he'll "quit" if handed an oversized squad post-summer transfer window, as he grapples with the challenge of leaving players out following injury comebacks.
Recently, as injured players have been returning to fitness, Guardiola found himself with selection headaches. Just last week, after Mateo Kovacic, Rodri and Nathan Ake made their way back into the team that triumphed over Bournemouth, youngsters Rico Lewis and Leeds United-linked midfielder James McAtee found themselves sidelined for the second match in a row - following their absence from the FA Cup final squad.
Furthermore, Savinho and Claudio Echeverri, both present in the cup final line-up, were left out of contention, a decision that saw Guardiola agonise for 45 minutes over his 20-man matchday squad list.
The emotional toll of cutting squad members has led Guardiola to candidly communicate to City's bosses his desire for a leaner squad to avoid the torment of telling several players they can't participate. He shared: "I said to the club I don't want that [a bigger squad]. I don't want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don't want that. I will quit," emphasising the depths of his feelings late on Tuesday night.
He further elaborated: "If they make a shorter squad I will stay. It's impossible for my soul to give my players in the tribune that they cannot play.", reports the Manchester Evening News.
The Man City boss has opened up about the challenges he faced with team selections due to injuries, stating: "Maybe for three or four months we couldn't select 11 players, we didn't have defenders, it was so difficult. After people come back but next season it cannot be like that. As a manager I cannot train 24 players and every time I select I have to have four, five, six stay in Manchester at home because they cannot play. This is not going to happen. I said to the club I don't want that."
When quizzed on potential summer departures stemming from this issue, Guardiola emphasised the decision lies with the club, saying: "It is a question for the club," He stressed his preference for a more manageable squad size: "I don't want to have 24, 25, 26 players when everyone is fit. If I have injuries, unlucky, we have some players for the academy and we do it."
Guardiola commented on the detrimental impact of having players consistently sidelined: "They cannot sustain for the emotion of the club, the soul of the team create another connection with each other that this season we lost it a bit. The players week by week stay at home. A player has to be here to fight between them to play and has to be the right number. A lot of injuries? Unlucky, but we have to do it."
Guardiola's remarks could be good news for the Whites in their hopes of landing McAtee this summer. United have held a long-standing interest in the playmaker.
A new No 10 is on Daniel Farke's transfer wish-list ahead of the Whites' Premier League return. McAtee is valued around the £25m mark.
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