Barcelona on red alert with five Man City stars ‘unhappy’ with Guardiola and eyeing ‘exit operation’
Five key Manchester City players are reportedly “unhappy” with manager Pep Guardiola and are open to leaving the club at the end of the season.
The Citizens are second in the Premier League, five points behind Arsenal, who have a game in hand.
The Gunners have been absolutely flying with City’s former assistant manager Mikel Arteta in charge.
City actually host Arteta’s side in the FA Cup on Friday night, giving them the opportunity to potentially get a physiological boost over their rivals in the title race.
Guardiola has been a bit snappy in recent press conferences and is perhaps feeling the pressure with his side behind Arsenal.
And if what Spanish journalist Jose Alvarez has said is true, it does not appear to be the best atmosphere at the Etihad at the minute.
Speaking on El Chiringuito TV (via Sport Witness), Alvarez claimed Ilkay Gundogan, Joao Cancelo, Kyle Walker, Aymeric Laporte and Bernardo Silva are “unhappy with Guardiola”.
Sniffing out a potential cheap deal, or five, Barcelona are said to be “interested”. What a shock.
Alvarez believes there will be “a major exit operation because there is a lot of wear and tear among the heavyweights in the dressing room.”
The five players mentioned prior “are there are several players who are disgruntled and can’t stand the situation”.
Explaining the individual situations of the players, Alvarez says Cancelo’s relationship with Guardiola and his staff “is not the best” and wants to leave the club as a result.
After summer interest from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, Silva has “rejected” multiple attempts to extend his City contract.
It is said that “PSG is there” and ready to make a move to sign the Portugal international.
Laporte’s situation is similar to Silva’s. The Spain defender “is thinking more about a departure in June”, however, City “want to talk about extending him”.
Finally, Gundogan – who is out of contract at the end of the season – does not want to extend his stay in Manchester with a summer move to Barcelona “quite advanced”.
City “have been trying to renew him for the last two years”, but an extension does not look likely whatsoever.
There is nothing on Walker, who has seen his game time reduced in recent weeks with youngster Rico Lewis thriving in right-back.
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