Pep Guardiola dismissed any talk of transfers until the end of the season when Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi were mentioned in a press conference ahead of the Premier League match against Newcastle on Wednesday evening.
Having finally been dethroned by Liverpool a fortnight ago, attention has turned to how Manchester City can improve to try and reclaim the Premier League title next season.
A c entre-back is a priority, especially given the failure to replace Vincent Kompany last summer when the club refused to meet Leicester's valuation for Harry Maguire and didn't identify any alternatives worth securing.
Guardiola would not be drawn on transfer talk though while the season is still ongoing, with the team building towards an FA Cup semi-final with Arsenal and Champions League last-16 clash with Real Madrid as well as completing their league fixtures.
Asked about the situation in defence after Koulibaly was brought up, the manager said: "[I will talk] at the end of the season, like you said in the question. We have still incredible targets to fight, to try and play good and this is the most important thing."
Messi's future at Barcelona is again uncertain after reports that he will leave the club when his contract expires in 2021. City have regularly been suggested as a likely option should he choose another challenge, both because he enjoyed so much success with Guardiola and because the club are one of the few in world football that could potentially afford him.
"I answer this question - I'm not going to speak about transfers until the end of the season," City's manager said when asked if there was any possibility of a move. "My wish is that Messi is going to stay in Barcelona."
