Pep Guardiola confirms double transfer aim with Man City happy to gamble amid £150m windfall

Manchester City are willing to wait until the end of the transfer window to get the best deal on two signings - but won't be bullied into paying over the odds.

Julian Alvarez played more minutes than nearly any other City player last season and is closing in on an exit to Atletico for an initial £64m, while cover has been needed for Rodri ever since it became obvious that Kalvin Phillips would not work out. Pep Guardiola has now confirmed for the first time that the club could go into the market for both players, but is conscious of how the club is being looked at.

With no shortage of money given the huge sum they will receive for Alvarez and the £150m they have banked this summer, City are wary of paying for the sake of it. Indeed Guardiola is happy enough with the squad he has that the Blues are willing to wait until the final days of the market to see if a better offer comes up.

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"We will see the chances at the end of the market if a club needs to sell more than now for example so I don’t know," said Guardiola. "Coming to the market now and knowing that we make a good transfer in terms of finances with Julián, people are waiting with the red carpet waiting to say come, come here and that is why you have to see what happens.

"Because the club has done well in the past. Many players didn’t come because the club didn’t pay what the other club wanted for that player. The club will continue to do what is fair."

Just as it is difficult to sign a striker knowing they will be competing with Erling Haaland, the same goes for a midfielder given Rodri's