Monday 16 April 2018 12:05, UK
Manchester City will look to recruit "two or three big signings" this summer as Pep Guardiola’s side aim to become the first team to retain the Premier League title since 2009, says Danny Mills.
A surprise home defeat for Manchester United against West Brom on Sunday confirmed City as league champions after a dominant campaign, which has also seen them secure the Carabao Cup.
Guardiola brought in Ederson, Kyle Walker and Bernardo Silva, among others, last summer for hefty transfer fees and former City player Mills expects the Spaniard and the club hierarchy to be busy in the market once again.
"I would expect recruitment is vital," Mills told Sky Sports News, when asked how City can continue to improve.
"When you look back at Chelsea, Manchester United - under Sir Alex Ferguson especially - and when they won the title they probably recruited two, three or four top-quality players to improve the first team.
"Everyone else will spend this summer. As the money grows and grows, that is what happens.
"You have got to improve just to stand still, so I expect two or three big signings to come in to Manchester City to improve their squad."
Aside from a shock FA Cup defeat to League One side Wigan, the major disappointment for Guardiola's side was their 5-1 aggregate defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals and Mills is in no doubt that they will face severe opposition for league honours next term.
"Everybody is aware of how City have played. People have seen what Liverpool have done. Everybody wants to beat the champions," Mills said.
"It doesn't matter whether you are Leicester, Chelsea or Manchester United - everybody tries that little harder against you.
"It makes it that little bit more difficult to retain the title. That is going to be a challenge. They have the squad to do it, they have the finances to do it as well. But as we have seen it is not easy in the slightest."
