Guardiola confirms Manchester City's Danilo interest
Pep Guardiola has confirmed Real Madrid right-back Danilo is one of "three or four players" Manchester City are trying to bring in before the start of the season.
City are reportedly close to signing the 26-year-old Brazilian for a fee in the region of £26.5million, having already made England international Kyle Walker the most expensive full-back in history when he joined last week for an initial £45million.
Guardiola has also been heavily linked with a move for Monaco left-back Benjamin Mendy for a similar fee to the amount Walker netted for Tottenham and the Catalan hopes to get a couple more deals over the line as City's season opener at Brighton and Hove Albion approaches.
"We have many options for players, but the deal [for Danilo] is not done so until it is done I cannot say anything out of respect for other clubs, but he is an option that we have," Guardiola told a news conference ahead of Thursday's International Champions Cup clash with rivals Manchester United in Houston..
"We are not talking with a lot of players, but three or four to come and join us. Not just for next season but the next three, four, five years, because they are all young players."
On Mendy, Guardiola added: "It’s like the case of Danilo, we have targets and we are going to see what happens. He’s a Monaco player so I have to try and be quiet. "
City are set to smash through the £100m barrier in terms of full-back recruitment after releasing Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna when their contracts expired at the end of last season.
Zabaleta and Clichy joined City in 2008 and 2011 respectively, twice winning the Premier League title, while 34-year-old Sagna signed on a free transfer from Arsenal three years ago.
With 31-year-old Aleksandar Kolarov deployed at centre-half as much as left-back by Guardiola last term, the City boss felt it was time for overdue investment in an area of his squad where younger legs are required.
"The club didn't invest because they had really good players at full-back – with Gael, with Baca, with Pablo, with Kola," said the former Barcelona boss, who has also completed big-money moves for Monaco playmaker Bernardo Silva and Benfica goalkeeper Ederson.
"So for five, six, seven years we didn't invest anything in that position. Of course, they played – especially Gael – a lot of minutes last season and they played really good, so I don't have any complaints about that.
"But we believe we have to refresh the team in terms of young players. Not just for this season but for the next four, five, six years and Kyle will help in those terms."