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Rob dawsonCorrespondent
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has ruled out a move for Jadon Sancho to replace Leroy Sane.
Sane flew to Germany on Wednesday before a proposed move of € 49 million to Bayern Munich. He is ready to sign a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions and will not play for City again.
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Sancho, who left Etihad Stadium to go to Borussia Dortmund in 2017 and has been linked with Manchester United, has been suggested as a possible replacement, but Guardiola is convinced that it will not happen.
“No, no. No, he decided to leave,” Guardiola said at a press conference on Wednesday. “Why should I decide to return? When he decided to move to Dortmund it was not because he decided to return later. It would not make sense. He did not want to be here, so he does not. I do not want to return here.”
After handing over the Premier League title to Liverpool, Guardiola faces the possibility of rebuilding his squad before City’s attempts to win it back next season. Sane has already made his way to the start and will be followed by David Silva, who will leave at the end of the campaign.
Vincent Kompany was not replaced last summer, while Fernandinho and Sergio Agüero turned 35 and 32, respectively.
“After we finish, we reflect,” Guardiola said. “I want to sit down with the club, take a little time to think with the club what we have to do, which players we should replace, Leroy and the others, we have to see what happens,” Guardiola said. “Some players have to be replaced. But it is not a disaster or a bad thing, it is part of football for age, for the situation and normal circumstances.”
“It happens in other clubs and players who consider themselves important players for the club who decide to leave. They don’t want to be here and that was the case for Jadon Sancho and Leroy, especially Leroy because Jadon Sancho was in the academy.”
“It happens in clubs around the world, you can never be eternal, and we have to accept it and try to make the right decisions as a club to try to maintain the level we have.”
The city comes face to face with newly crowned champion Liverpool behind closed doors at Etihad Stadium on Thursday. Guardiola says his players will give Jurgen Klopp’s team an honor guard and midfielder Ilkay Gundogan insists he deserves it.
“I’m not sure if I’ve done it before to be honest,” said Gundogan. “It is a tradition in England, so obviously we will continue the tradition. They deserve it because they are the champions. I imagine that people from abroad, like the media and the fans, make it bigger than it really is.”
“If someone is better than you, whether in a game or competition, you have to accept and congratulate them. Next time, when you have the opportunity, you have to take the opportunity and do better, that’s how I look at it.”
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