Pep Guardiola has disclosed that Manchester City’s management backs his plan to trim the squad next season, regardless of their last-ditch effort to secure Champions League qualification.
The former champions travel to Fulham on Sunday, needing just a point to avoid missing out on Europe’s premier club competition for the first time since the 2010/11 season.
With the Premier League’s top five assured of Champions League spots, City hold a two-point advantage over sixth-placed Aston Villa and boast a significantly better goal difference.
However, a loss in London could be disastrous, especially following their unexpected FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace last week.
Despite the stakes, Guardiola remains firm on reducing the squad size next season. After Tuesday’s victory against Bournemouth, he expressed his determination, stating he would consider stepping down if unable to streamline the team, as managing so many discontented players was “impossible for my soul.”
But on Friday he played down his threat to resign and insisted he has the support of his employers to cut his squad.
“I was laughing when I said that,” Guardiola said. “I’m not going to quit. But the expression is the same, I don’t want players at home with their families when the team is playing.
“In the last three weeks, we had four, five or six players at home — that is not healthy for any of us, for them especially, for me and the club.
“The club knows it and agrees with me. We will find a solution. Everyone has to have the chance to compete.”
City started the season gunning for a fifth straight Premier League title but have been reduced to fighting for a Champions League berth.
But at the end of his first trophyless campaign since 2016/17, Guardiola is relieved his team have their Champions League fate in their own hands.
“It’s been a really tough season,” he said. “I knew it would come down to the last day in the 95th minute and I was not wrong.”
The City boss has already decided to let midfielder Kevin De Bruyne leave when his contract expires at the end of the season and more changes are certain.
“I’m completely focused on Sunday and after the club will take the decisions they have to take,” he said.
Guardiola also said he wants to help Phil Foden after the winger admitted he has struggled mentally this season.
Foden, left out of the England squad on Friday, has been hampered by an ankle injury, failing to recapture the form he showed last season, when he was voted by his fellow professionals as player of the year.
“We want to help him and that’s the most important thing,” said Guardiola.
“I don’t care about his performance, I just want him to feel good because then the rest will come in an easy way.”