Report Reveals the Arsenal and Bayern Munich Stars Pep Guardiola Failed to Sign at Manchester City

Manchester City splashed the cash under Pep Guardiola to build the team that took the Premier League by storm this season, but a report by The Times has revealed the players that Guardiola wanted to sign when he first took charge of the Manchester side.

Ahead of the current campaign the Spanish manager signed Ederson, Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo, as part of a £212m spending spree to successfully improve his defence ahead of their title winning season.

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But Guardiola had attempted to improve in that area as soon as he took charge in 2016. If the former Barcelona coach had got his way, the Manchester side would've had Bayern Munich's star keeper Manuel Neuer between the sticks.

City reportedly enquired about the German stopper, however, the Bundesliga giants insisted that he was not for sale.

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After identifying an issue in defence when he arrived at the Etihad, Guardiola also wanted to improve his full backs ahead of his first season in the Premier League. And it was Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin that was on his wish list. However, after already having made six signings he decided against the idea as he feared making too many changes would unsettle the team. 

Arsenal will surely be glad to discover that they seemingly managed to avoid the sale of Bellerin to City, having since lost Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United and Olivier Giroud to Chelsea. 

Guardiola must be happy with the decisions he made a year on, as his defensive over haul, that resulted in all four full-backs being sold ahead of this term, paid off.

(You may also be interested in 'Pep Guardiola Targets Summer Move for Bayern Star as Long-Term Replacement for David Silva')