Here are the Manchester City morning headlines for Thursday, September 3.
Koulibaly ‘on way out’
Manchester City have been handed a boost in their attempts to sign Kalidou Koulibaly this summer.
The Senegal international is City’s top transfer target as Pep Guardiola seeks to bolster his backline.
And Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has opened the door to a transfer, stating Koulibaly will be sold if the right offer comes in.
“Koulibaly and [Arek] Milik are both on their way out, transfer market permitting,” De Laurentiis told Canale 21, via Football Italia.
“So, if the transfer market allows us to sell these two excellent players, we will know how to replace them. If not, then we’ll discuss it again next year.”
Foden sends Guardiola message
Phil Foden has provided an insight into what he thinks his best position is.
The versatile academy graduate has played out wide, as a deeper midfielder and in a central attacking role in his career to date.
And while the youngster has enjoyed fulfilling different functions, he sees his future as a long-term successor to David Silva.
"I'm hoping so but there are a lot of midfielders and a lot of quality in the team so it's not just going to give me that position easy," he said.
"Everyone has to train well and play well so it depends on me if I'm playing good enough I'll get the shirt so it's down to me.
"My favourite position is in the centre of midfield so that's the position where I see myself but I've enjoyed playing off the left and off the right and sometimes false nine and scoring goals.
"That's something I can do as well. I feel like I'm a flexible player and no matter where I've been playing I've enjoyed knowing I can do a job there."
Matthaus takes swing at Pep
Lothar Matthaus has branded Guardiola “egocentric” after City’s failure to win the Champions League.
A surprise defeat by Lyon in the quarter-finals denied City a place in the last four of Europe’s premier competition.
And German football legend Matthaus believes the City manager made a mistake in tinkering with his tactics against Lyon.
“With Pep Guardiola I have the feeling that he always wants to do something special in big games,” he told Sport Bild, as per Sport Witness.
“Barcelona had a DNA, a system he pulled through. Pep was successful there. With Bayern and City, he tried it over and over again with changes and failed again and again.
“He always wanted to show that he could do even better. I would like to tell him: Pep, you are a giant trainer – but please keep your system!
"I would describe it as egocentric. Yes, that’s a harsh word, but it is due to what he did. At Bayern, Robert Lewandowski even had to play left wing once. That did not work out at all.”
