Pep Guardiola has confirmed Manchester City are trying to sign another midfielder before Thursday’s transfer deadline.
Riyad Mahrez has been the only first-team addition since the side romped to the Premier League title in record-breaking fashion last term.
Guardiola said ahead of the Community Shield that City would only dip into the transfer market again for a “special” talent and confirmed after beating Chelsea at Wembley that they were looking for another midfielder.
“We are trying,” he said. “We would like to find maybe one more because we don’t have two specific players to substitute Fernandinho.
“But if he doesn’t come, there will not come anyone else.”
Asked if they are close, Guardiola said: “I don’t know. I was focused in the final, so we will just see.”
City missed out on Jorginho this summer to Chelsea, with the Italy international part of the side beaten 2-0 on Sunday.
Guardiola has suggested that midfielder Douglas Luiz, loaned to Girona last summer, can play a role in the first team if he is awarded a work permit.
There is yet to be any confirmation of his status, nor is there any news on Joe Hart’s expected exit to Burnley.
“I don’t know (the latest situation),” Guardiola said.
“I know they are in touch, but I don’t know if it’s already done because I didn’t speak with the club, I didn’t speak with Txiki (Begiristain, City’s director of football) about Joe.”
Pep Guardiola does not know whether Raheem Sterling will sign an extended deal despite the desire of everyone at Manchester City to keep the forward.
The 23-year-old became British football’s most expensive player in 2015 when swapping Liverpool for the Etihad Stadium in a deal rising to £49million.
Sterling has come on leaps and bounds under Guardiola’s guidance, but the England forward has yet to agree a new contact with just two years left on his current deal.
“There’s no doubt we want him,” the City boss said.
“He knows, his agent knows. We want him. Txiki (Begiristain, City’s director of football) spoke with him so.
“It’s clear since the first day I arrived we want him, but the deals are the deals, and the agents are the agents, and the players are the players.
“So, at the end I don’t know what is going to happen, but I assure you 100 per cent that the club, myself like a manager, sport director, even his team-mates, we want him to stay longer here.”
Sergio Aguero double seals Community Shield for Manchester City as sloppy Chelsea give Maurizio Sarri plenty to ponder.
Manchester City certainly did not look under-cooked. The champions set the standard for the new season as they comprehensively out-played – and not just beat – Chelsea to win the Community Shield.
Manager Pep Guardiola had said he was “starving” for more success and his team looked ravenous. Another trophy has come their way, albeit the fifth of importance that they will contest this campaign, but the resonance went far beyond.
There were two goals for the predatory Sergio Aguero – the first being his 200thfor City – but it was the manner of their construction, and the architects of them, that was so impressive. On both occasions City carved through Chelsea.
Phil Foden, the great young hope at still just 18, created the first and also released Aguero with the pass of the match – a wonderful wedged ball through with back-spin to bring it back to the striker – while John Stones continued his imperious form from the World Cup, just three weeks to the day after returning from Russia, and Bernardo Silva looked like a player trying to prove a point. The only disappointment was an indifferent performance from £60million signing Riyad Mahrez and the confirmation, if any were needed, that goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is not going to be challenging Ederson for his place.