Man City transfer news: Pep Guardiola to strengthen three or four positions amid ban threat

Guardiola has made no secret of his desire for a left-back and a holding midfielder, but other positions will be strengthened too

Pep Guardiola has revealed that Manchester City will seek to strengthen up to four positions this summer, amid reports the Premier League champions could face a transfer ban.

Guardiola has previously made no secret of his desire to add a left-back and a holding midfielder to his squad as cover for Benjamin Mendy and Fernandinho.

But the City manager said for the first time on Friday that the club’s recruitment will extend to other areas of his squad.

“There are three or four positions I think we have to try to look for and some ideas we have,” Guardiola told journalists, when asked whether City were searching for a Mendy alternative.

“I don’t know in the end what is going to happen but it is an option, yeah, to buy a left-back.”

Guardiola added: “You know holding midfielder we are going to try and other positions we are thinking about.

“I’m not going to tell you which positions, I don’t want to tell you the players. You have your sources.”

City are understood to be monitoring Leicester City full-back Ben Chilwell as a potential alternative to Mendy, while the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers' Ruben Neves and Lyon's Tanguy Ndombele have been linked for the midfield.

Guardiola’s comments follow reports that City are one of several Premier League clubs facing a transfer ban from Fifa for breaching rules on the signing of youth players.

Chelsea, who City beat in last Sunday’s EFL Cup final, were banned from the transfer market for two windows by world football’s governing body for the same offence last week.

The west London club intend to appeal against Fifa’s decision, which will likely postpone their ban until January 2020.

City are understood to be one of the four other Premier League clubs being investigated by Fifa for their signings of young players.

In November, internal documents obtained by the Football Leaks group claimed to show that City had allegedly paid a six-figure sum to the family of a young player.

According to Danish newspaper Politiken, relatives of Belgian defender Mathias Bossaerts were allegedly given £190,000 by the club.

In a statement released at the time, City refused to comment on “hacked or stolen” documents and an “organised and clear” attempt to damage the club’s reputation.

Ahead of City’s Premier League trip to Bournemouth on Saturday, Guardiola also revealed that left-back Mendy is not ready to return from a long-standing knee injury.

Mendy has made just 20 appearances for City (Getty)

Mendy was named on the substitutes’ bench for Wednesday night’s 1-0 victory over West Ham United, following Guardiola’s comments that the defender was now “better”.

But the City manager said on Friday that Mendy was only included in order to make up the numbers for the injury-hit champions.

Guardiola admitted that there is concern for a £52million signing who has made just 20 appearances in 18 months, hence the search for another cover in his position.

“Today, he’s not fit,” Guardiola said. “It’s not about English football, it’s the fact that he’s not able to play. He’s injured during two seasons.

“If it happens in two seasons it can happen three, yeah definitely. Hopefully not, we’ll work with that, he’s working with that, but the truth is we could use him [for only a] few games.

“That is the reality. At the end the strongest guys, every day are there. That is the truth. That’s why we are looking for, maybe, you know, for the next season.”