Monday 21 May 2018 10:25, UK
Manchester City realise how crucial their summer recruitment will be in order to avoid disrupting their “winning formula”, says club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
After Pep Guardiola, who signed a new three-year deal on Thursday, led City to a record-breaking Premier League and Carabao Cup-double this season, Al Mubarak insists the club will not rest on their success.
Guardiola told Sky Sports last week that the club cannot afford to maintain their big spending, and Al Mubarak insists they will only sign players who strengthen the squad as they look to become the first title-retainers since rivals Manchester United in 2009.
"This is my biggest learning from the years of chairing this club. When winning, bringing in new players is a very important decision because you have a winning formula that has just won."
"In terms of improving the squad, we have had a lot of learning in the past. Today, we have a superbly high-quality squad," Al Mubarak told City TV.
"You don't get to 100 points without a full, high-quality squad, which is what we have. Any additions have to improve the squad.
"This is my biggest learning from the years of chairing this club. When winning, bringing in new players is a very important decision because you have a winning formula that has just won.
"Whatever you can add, it has to be a decision that you don't take very lightly at all. You have to bring in players that will strengthen, improve and add competition into the squad - that is key."
Guardiola overhauled his City squad last summer, with 11 first-team players either sold or released and £120million spent on five new, key players.
Sky sources understand City want to sign the likes of Napoli midfielder Jorginho, as well as PSG's Kylian Mbappe and Thiago Alcantara of Bayern Munich this summer.
Al Mubarak said: "We have real experiences, real learnings from how we managed our seasons following the last two times we won the league.
"We have worked very hard over the last couple of years to build this squad - not only just for this season but for many seasons to come. This is a young squad.
"Many of our most talented players are under the age of 26. Mine and the management's expectation, and certainly Pep's, is that this team will continue to improve.
"We have a manager in Pep that is relentless. There is not going to be any contentment here or any relaxation - that I can assure you.
"I have no doubt that this summer we are going to come back, be hungry, more aggressive and we are going to continue to improve."
