Pep Guardiola Community Shield Press Conference signings, departures & Arsenal Man City v Arsenal

Having won the treble, it can't seem like that long ago, you have an immediate chance to win another trophy. Does this game actually matter to you? Good morning to everyone. I hope you had a good summer as well. Did you have holidays or not yet? A small one. So normally when you win the title that we won, they give you the chance to fight for a new one, especially this Community Shield, the last three years we played but against Sevilla in next week's and in Saudi Arabia in the wintertime, so give you the opportunity to play it once we are there. Of course we are going to try. Now I know how we are right now, the situation that we are in, so we finish two weeks later than Arsenal, we start two weeks later than Arsenal, so we are not in the best way. Always we struggle to restart every season, but it's fine and hopefully our mentality can help us to be there and compete like we have to compete against them and try to win the title. Have you achieved something as historic as you achieved last season? What are you looking for in the players to make sure they still have that edge to go again? I would say I don't know, I would say we are going to see, but at the same time every pre-season always when we won the quadruple or we won the Premier League in a row, two, three times always we think the players will be dropped, the players will not be ready and the players were ready and everyone was ready. I think will be highs and lows, I think my feeling for experience in the first part of the season, have to try to avoid to drop too much, to don't let the opponents, especially in the Premier League and the further stages in the Champions League, run away. But in terms of what I know, except Mateo that arrived, the other people I know them quite well and I know they are incredible competitors and we will push each other, we will challenge each other and I'm sure that we'll be there. Can I just ask you about, and also Kyle Walken, Bernardo Silva, there's been a lot of talk about those two maybe leaving? Well regarding Guardiola, what a beautiful surname he has, regarding him he's doing a medical test, so everybody knows that he's here and hopefully we can finish the deal in the next hours, next days. And regarding Kyle and Bernardo, what could I say, so they are so important player for us, we want him yes, yes or yes, we are going to do everything to, of course he is not like Gundo, like finish the contract, he has contract, but we want him to stay because he want to stay and yeah, we will do everything, because replace these two players is so, so difficult. We lost two incredible players for us, like Ilkay and Riyad, like in the last seasons were massively important, incredible goals, assists and personalities in the biggest stages and big important games and lose Kyle and Bernardo will be so difficult and that's why we are going to do everything to keep them and because they want, because they want really, really be here. From your perspective, Guardiola, what will he bring to Manchester City? Let me, it's a medical test, so let's finish, when it's done I will give my opinion. Are you done, if Guardiola comes in, are you done in the transfer market? I don't know, I think he's going to move something, yeah, it's not yet. The season started today, I mean it starts on Sunday, are you happy with everything? I'm happy for everything, yeah definitely, but what I said before, still we need, like I think all the teams, not just Manchester City, but the reality in this period, one week of work helps a lot, but we cannot forget, it's 11 months, so it's time to don't get injured and have training sessions day by day, week by week and game by game that players will get what we need. Can I pick up on Guardiola coming in, because assuming... Assuming, yeah, wait, I'll call Guardiola and I promise you, but not now, because I'm not allowed to do it for the club, so that's the point. The season is so long, so there's many, many games. No, absolutely not. For the day one, yeah, I want to clarify that, because I know the referees from Barcelona make my word, what I said, I said for the day one until the end, I don't want any players that don't want to be here, but I am an employee, it's my opinion, I want to work with the guys, like I want to stay on my decisions, I want to work with the staff, with the players, but after that we had to get an offer, and we didn't get an offer, a proper offer, I would say I didn't get an offer, so that's why, what could I say, it's our player, we want him, and if they want it, they will take a plane, they will come here, they will talk with our sports director, the CEO, to arrive in agreement, because both parts, or three parts, they have to be, even not for the wish, I give the word, it's over, so we want to go everywhere to buy a player, just for Beeman City, it's 10, 15 million pounds more expensive than the other clubs, all the time it's like that, so, and the same guys, when they want to play us, important players for us, but there are really, really important players, first they have to, you know, to make an offer, and it didn't happen, and when that happened, it's going to stay, and we fight to extend the contract, to be with us, it's simple as that, you know, all the players happen since day one. No, it's many cases, so, we cannot forget the situation, they are completely different each year, for the different one, when you want to travel, it looks like the job is done, and the players, most of the players, with 32, 33 years old, like Ilkay, Riyad said, you know, we arrive here to win the Premier League, and after all the people asking about the Champions League, will not be complete, if we don't win the Champions League, and all, some players feel, okay, I want a new experience, I will not be the guy to say no, no, no, for a with the important part of the club, and the club is not me, it's the business, the, you know, make a deal, happen, and in the cases, so, of course, in that case, Bernardo Cal, we talked many, many, many times, the last month, even years, how important it is for them, for us, how we want him, yes or yes, and we continue to do it until the end, you know, until the end, what's going to happen, so, I don't know, but it's not going to happen, if the both clubs don't arrive, because they are a massive, massive, important players, because when we lost this type of players, we have to go to the market to buy the replacement, and with this type of player, doesn't cost 10 millions, 20, 30, 40, 50, no, it's more expensive than that, and, you know, we need that money as a club to reimburse for another players, to make the team as much stronger as possible, to defend the crowns that we want, and be, you know, play good, win a lot of games for our people, it's simple, it's not, I would say, more complicated to understand. Absolutely not. Declan Rice decided to go to Arsenal, the offer was incredible, and all the best, because I think he's important, really important player, I think he's a very nice guy, and for the national team, England national team, is and will be important, and Arsenal bought an incredible, incredible player. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Juan is the best assistant coach you can have in the bad moments, and you have to find the people close to you in the bad moments, the good ones, I don't need anyone, just open the champagne to celebrate together, but in the bad moments, you have to have him. Juan, beyond his knowledge about football, and there is specially identified what happens, especially football players, is a massive, massive human being, so I think all of us, personally, I'm really happy that he came with his right hand in Iñigo, but all the people, the staff, backroom staff, players, were delighted to see him back, so, go for it. What have you made of Arsenal's summer transfer business, in general, and how about today's players, do you think that will take them to the next level of football? Yeah, definitely. They didn't buy players to make the squad bigger, they buy starting eleven players, so, yeah, really good, all of them, really good. I could not expect differently, Newcastle have done it, Liverpool maybe less, but I think with Henderson and Fabinho gone, I think it's going to, they're going to the market again, and United do it again, so, it's normal, so, every season, every season, the teams, the teams want to do the team better, not just Man City.