Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has claimed he could quit if faced with a bloated squad next season, expressing his discomfort at excluding too many fit players from his starting XI.

With Liverpool snatching the Premier League title this time around, the Citizens are anticipated to engage actively in the transfer window to rejuvenate their ageing squad, hinting at more exits following Kevin De Bruyne's farewell appearance at the Etihad.

Guardiola, who faced a challenging season plagued by injuries and an intensive schedule, emphasised the importance of maintaining a trim squad.



I said to the club I don't want that."

Pep Guardiola makes shock Man City quit threat as boss reveals the one thing that will push him out of the club this summer: 'I will not stay'	Pep Guardiola makes 'I quit' claim amid new Man City transfer battle with Liverpool	Pep Guardiola threatens to quit Man City over transfer strategy change

Despite the injury setbacks this season — most notably the long-term absence of Rodri, who made his first appearance since September as a second-half substitute on Tuesday night — Guardiola stated he would rather supplement the squad with academy players.

This statement implies City will need to reduce their squad size before bringing in any new faces in the summer transfer window.

"If I have injuries, unlucky, we have some players from the academy and we do it," Guardiola declared.

"(We) cannot sustain for the emotion of the club, the soul of the team, (to) create another connection with each other that this season we lost it a bit."

Earlier this week, reports suggested that City have lessened their interest in Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, who is being pursued by newly crowned Premier League champion Liverpool and Bundesliga winner Bayern Munich.

.

Fanatics Official Sports Apparel — Liverpool

The digital sports platform has this Liverpool Nike 2024/25 Home Custom Replica Jersey, a Mohamed Salah Liverpool Nike 2024/25 Third Replica Jersey, and more merchandise for Liverpool fans

The fight for the remaining three Premier League qualification spots is heating up, with City, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest all in contention ahead of Sunday's final round of fixtures.

Liverpool.com says: Guardiola has always favored a smaller squad but it is a risk
For more news relating to Manchester City, visit our sister site City Latest Live.