Douglas Costa says Pep Guardiola cannot sign Bayern Munich players
In an interesting turn of events, Bayern Munich winger Douglas Costa has revealed that Pep Guardiola cannot sign any Bayern Munich players for his new club Manchester City.
Guardiola is set to take over Manchester City from 1st July after his contract with Bayern Munich runs out. Guardiola’s appointment was revealed much before the season was over and the Manchester City boss of the time raised his displeasure of the early announcement, saying that it affected the performances of the players.
City completed their first deal in the transfer window under the Guardiola era as they signed Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, who will miss euro 2016 due to an injury. They are also in talks to sign Gundogan’s former teammate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Also Read: Why Pep Guardiola's time at Bayern Munich wasn't a failure
As Guardiola shares a strong bond with his former players, Brazil international Douglas Costa has revealed that none of those players will be permitted to join their former manager at Manchester City.
He told Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte, "Would I be open to City if Pep called? It's something he has in his contract; a clause that says he cannot sign any players from Bayern. He added: "I am in a situation where I could stay at Bayern for a long time.”
The Bayern forward further added, "The club's philosophy is to keep players at Bayern for a long time. I am happy at the prospect of enjoying a long career here.”
Best year of Costa’s career
The Brazilian star also added how much he has enjoyed his time at Bayern and spoke about his incredible impact for the Bundesliga side since his move.
"I have made a big step forward since leaving Shakhtar for Bayern. I did not expect to become so important right away.
"This has been the best year of my career."
When asked about the how good the Spanish coach is, Costa was full of praise for the former Bayern Munich manager and added, "If you put all Brazilian coaches together, you would get Pep. One has motivational skills, another is tactically strong. But Pep has it all. Pep has the magic touch. He breathes football. He still played himself quite recently. Pep always keeps inventing new things. He is magic. I hope he can win the Champions League with City."
Guardiola signed Costa last summer when the Brazilian signed a five-year contract from Shakhtar Donetsk for a figure believed to be in the £24m range. The Brazilian had a largely successful season at Bayern, scoring 7 goals and providing 12 assists in all competitions. Costa was replaced for the 2016 Copa America by Kaka, who also injured himself before the start of the tournament.