Pep Guardiola believes he has at least five alternatives to star striker Erling Haaland at the centre of the Manchester City forward line.
Two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Haaland has started the season in typically prolific fashion, breaking the deadlock in the 2-0 opening day win over Chelsea before racking up a 10th City hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Ipswich Town.
After the Chelsea game, Haaland ominously claimed that he has never felt fitter than he does at the moment, cutting a contrast with the 2023/24 campaign when a two-month absence with a foot injury came amid other fitness niggles.
Argentina international Julian Alvarez deputised superbly during Haaland’s absence but got his wish to move to Atletico Madrid in a €95million ($104m) deal.
City were linked to Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi and credited with an interest in Copenhagen’s Orri Oskarsson but, speaking at a press conference on transfer deadline day, Guardiola explained why he has decided to stick with what he’s got.
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“I’m happy with the squad. I didn’t expect that Alvarez would leave. Well… he had conversations from a long time ago with other clubs, so it could happen. At the end you always think he can stay but it didn’t happen,” he said, speaking on the eve of City’s trip to West Ham.
“If we have many, many injuries it will be a problem but hopefully in two or three months Oscar [Bobb] will be back. Phil [Foden] in that position, [James] McAtee can play in that position, [Ilkay] Gundogan can play in that position, Bernardo [Silva] can play in that position.
“They are different types of players to Erling, of course, but I like to work with not a long, long squad. I don’t like to leave a lot of players without playing for a long time.
“If we have a long squad with no injuries it’s 10 months without playing and I don’t like it. Always I feel when everyone is involved with a chance to play the performance of the team is always better."
“I know the group. I know how serious and professional they are and their commitment in every single game. When you are not pretty, pretty, pretty sure [about a transfer target] it is better to wait, In winter, just in case anything happens, we have another chance.
“If I’m not convinced and Txiki [Begiristain, City's director of football] is not convinced it’s better not to take that step.”
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Aside from the quintet Guardiola mentioned, Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish have also undertaken false nine duties during their time at City. Breakout youth team midfielder Nico O’Reilly can similarly be deployed as a central attacker, while former West Ham striker Divin Mubama joined up with City’s U21 side this week in a deal worth £2million.
Should anything happen to Haaland at any stage this season, it is perhaps understandable that Guardiola is banking on the creativity of himself and his players to pull City through.
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