Manchester City and Pep Guardiola were able to fend off Arsenal and retain their Premier League title last season, but will be facing a strong Gunners side this time around while local rivals Manchester United will be hoping that after a strong transfer window, they can compete alongside the previous campaign’s top two. Guardiola has already suffered several blows but the possibility remains that he and City could be handed a devastating final month of the summer which may see them get eclipsed by their rivals. Here, Express Sport analyses what a worst-case summer scenario would look like for Guardiola.
Mbappe to United
Kylian Mbappe has publicly been put up for sale by Paris Saint-Germain, as the club believe that he will not renew his contract in the French capital and they hope to recoup their money on the star man. He has been the subject of a mega-money offer from Saudi Arabia but it remains to be seen whether he is interested in leaving Europe, even if just for a year.
Especially if Sheikh Jassim takes over at United, the Red Devils have a vested interest in Mbappe and bringing him to the Premier League would blow the title race wide open. If the PSG star does turn up on the red side of Manchester, it would certainly pose a problem for Guardiola in his attempt to retain the title.
Bernardo Silva quits club
City and Guardiola have rarely stood in the way of their stars leaving, but after Riyad Mahrez’s departure to Saudi Arabia and Ilkay Gundogan’s free transfer to Barcelona, it would hand Guardiola another problem if Bernardo Silva joined them in quitting the club.
The Portuguese maestro is said to be considering all of his options, which include a new contract and interest from both PSG and the Middle East. He has been a vital part of Guardiola’s teams over the years, however, and another senior exit would almost certainly hamper them.
Arsenal sign Caicedo
After beating City to the £105million signing of Declan Rice, there is a chance that the Gunners will re-open their interest in Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo. Arsenal wanted to sign both after the January window closed, and with Liverpool closing in on their alternative Romeo Lavia, it could be the Ecuadorian that they turn to again.
Chelsea have baulked at his £100m asking price but should Arsenal sell the likes of Folarin Balogun, Kieran Tierney and possibly Thomas Partey, they would likely be able to raise the same figure – equipping Mikel Arteta with a midfield capable of winning the title.