AFCON 2025
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has reportedly demanded the signing of two Barcelona players to beef up his squad for next season.
Manchester City had a disappointing 2024-25 season, finishing third in the Premier League, 13 points behind champions Liverpool, and going trophyless.
The club’s leadership recognized early on that their aging squad needed a major refresh to compete for top honors again. City began their squad overhaul in January, signing Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis.
This summer, they invested €135m to bring in Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders, and Marcus Bettinelli.
New director of football Hugo Viana is pushing for more signings, with Spanish outlet Fichajes reporting that Pep Guardiola has “demanded” the acquisition of Barcelona midfielder Lopez.
The surprising Club World Cup defeat to Al-Hilal led Guardiola to prioritize new transfer targets, with Spain’s Lopez near the top. Fichajes also notes that City are pursuing Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, aiming to beat rivals Manchester United.
The move comes after Ederson’s costly mistakes in the Al-Hilal loss exposed vulnerabilities in goal, marking it as a key area for Guardiola to address.
