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Sunday 21 June 2020 22:30, UK
Pep Guardiola has admitted that the financial impact of coronavirus could prevent Manchester City from adding to their squad in this summer's transfer market.
City, along with the rest of the Premier League, only returned to action this week after three months off due to the pandemic, and clubs are working to understand how it will affect their accounts.
City have two pressing concerns to address in the upcoming transfer market: finally signing a centre-back to replace Vincent Kompany, who left at the end of last season, and finding a left winger to fill the gap left by Leroy Sane, who is expected to join Bayern Munich.
But ahead of City's second match since the Premier League's return - at home to Burnley on Monday Night Football, live on Sky Sports - Guardiola revealed those plans may have to shelved, saying: "I don't know after coronavirus if the situation for clubs financially has changed. We are going to see at the end of this season.
"In all the places I was - Barcelona, Bayern Munich and here - if the club says 'we cannot afford it', then we cannot afford it.
"It depends if people stay. Maybe in these next two months, the team makes a step forward and we decide to continue with the same people."
Earlier this week, Guardiola revealed Sane had turned down multiple offers to extend his contract at the Etihad, and will leave this summer if a deal can be agreed with a buyer. He is Bayern's No 1 target, but City want over £60m for the 24-year-old.
The manager says he may be forced to rely on his existing options to plug the gap when Sane leaves, explaining: "Leroy is our player. I don't know if he is going to leave this summer or if he is going to leave at the end of his contract.
"We have enough good players up front. Gabriel [Jesus] can play on the left, Phil Foden can play on the left, we have Raheem [Sterling] there.
"We have big-time players up front. They are all the time in healthy condition, so they can play quite regularly. We have other priorities maybe."
Sky Sports are broadcasting 64 live Premier League games for the 2019/20 season resumption. In addition to the 39 matches already scheduled to be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports before the coronavirus interruption, 25 more matches are being broadcast on both Sky Sports Premier League and Sky's free-to-air Pick channel, allowing the whole nation to be part of the return of live sport.
To celebrate the return of the Premier League, Sky Sports have also launched a host of innovative new features and updates to give fans an even more immersive experience and share the moments live with family and friends on virtual platforms.
