Pep Guardiola expressed uncertainty regarding Manchester City’s summer transfer strategy after their FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United.
The loss on Saturday denied City the chance to make history as the first team in English football to achieve back-to-back league and cup doubles.
City’s journey to the final day of the Premier League, where they were narrowly beaten by Arsenal, coupled with their quarter-final exit in the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid, raised questions about potential squad changes. Guardiola faced queries about the necessity of altering the team, especially after missing out on retaining two of the three trophies they claimed in their historic treble-winning season a year prior.
“Right now, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “I don’t know the players who are going to make a decision whether to continue with us or want to leave or not.
“Players come in, come out. Right now, I’m really pleased with the team, how they behaved all season. I couldn’t say different.”
Several members of Guardiola’s squad have been involved in each of City’s record four consecutive league titles, including six players who started Saturday’s final and two more among the substitutes.
It was suggested earlier in the campaign that they were struggling to live up to the standards set in their treble year and at one stage during November and December they posted a run of one league win in six.
However, they recovered to drop only six points from December 16 until the end of the season to beat the Gunners to the title by two points.
Guardiola would not be drawn on whether the squad was ripe for wholesale changes after another record-breaking year.
“Next season is next season,” he said. “It’s far away. Right now it’s difficult for me to process even after winning the Premier League.
“It’s a question of calm, relaxed. We will be back as best as possible and next season we’ll have to do this and that, step by step, we’ll see what happens.
“From my point of view, the season has been amazing. The journey was really good. Week in and week out in a good mood, good vibes.
“The team has been extraordinary, the way we played in the Champions League, we didn’t lose one game. Saturday was maybe not the right rhythm.”
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