Man City news: Pep Guardiola sanctions £80m summer deal to solve defensive issues | Football | Sport
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The Slovakian international has earned a reputation as one of the best defenders in Europe, and Guardiola has put him at the top of his summer shopping list. And Guardiola is ready to pip Spanish giants Real Madrid to the signing of Skriniar, 25, whom they have continued to watch after failing to sign him for £55million last summer.
City who are about to relinquish their Premier League crown to Liverpool after failing to find a top-class replacement for Vincent Kompany when he left to became player-manager of Anderlecht.
Guardiola’s defensive frailties were laid bare for all to see when Aymeric Laporte suffered an early-season injury, and they didn’t have a top-class replacement.
They have identified several players including Leicester City’s Caglar Soyuncu, Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake as well as Skriniar, to fill the gap.
Skriniar has spent the last three seasons at Milan and has flourished under former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte since took over in the San Siro last summer.
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City are back in action on Sunday afternoon against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Guardiola has been vocal on the derby, insisting it’s one of the nicest he’s been involved in.
He said: “Always it’s so nice, one of the nicest ones, I love it.
“It’s always special. Of course the situation is a bit different, we look to improve, to finish second, not (to win) the title, and for them it’s more important in qualifying for the Champions League.
“We have to prepare for two finals, Madrid and Newcastle and to improve what we do.
“At Sheffield we struggled at moments but then attacked better. In every game we have to do it against the big teams – United is a derby and that’s the way to improve.”
Guardiola warned his stars, who are 15 points ahead of United in the Premier League, they cannot take the derby lightly despite being the favourites to win.
“When we believe it’s more important for them we are going to lose – we have to have belief it’s more important,” he added.
“I’ve never played a game thinking about points, the game is more comfortable or less, I never see the game schedule, the game we try to play and try to win.”
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