“They will lose maybe important players” – Arsene Wenger warns Guardiola on how he should strengthen Manchester City despite treble win
Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger has stated that Manchester City need to strengthen their squad this summer despite winning the treble.
The Cityzens became the first English side since Manchester United in the 1998-99 season to win the treble. They won the Premier League title over Arsenal, beat United in the FA Cup final, and got past Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final.
Manchester City are known to be big spenders and have spent over a whopping £1.2 billion since manager Pep Guardiola's appointment in 2016. Wenger, however, believes that they need to spend more this summer as some key players of the squad are getting older.
“I must say, I was thinking as well at the celebrations: What do you now at City? Do you go for a new challenge? Motivate yourself for a new challenge? Or do you stay, take advantage of the credit and continue to develop this team? They will lose maybe important players," Wenger told Mirror.
He added:
"This team is not an old team but there are no young players. Apart from [Erling] Haaland, who is 22 now, all the others are between 24 and 32 years old. So two or three new players will need to change. They have to find the same quality again."
Manchester City's stalwarts like Kevin De Bruyne (31) and Ilkay Gundogan (32) are in the wrong of their 30s and could need replacements in a few years' time.
Arsene Wenger on Manchester City's big spend with Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola joined Manchester City in 2016 and has since led them to five Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League trophy. They have also won four Carabao Cups, two FA Cups, and two English Super Cups.
However, Manchester City have often been criticized for spending a lot of money under their owner Sheikh Mansour. City have spent over £1.2 billion on players since Guardiola's arrival.
When asked about the same, Arsene Wenger chose to credit the Spanish manager for his achievements.
"I don't think about it like that. Guardiola is a top class coach and has survived at that level because he has the quality. Top class players without a top class coach will not do well – you need both of them," Wenger said.
Incidentally, the Premier League are investigating Manchester City for over 100 counts of financial breaches over a 10-year period.