Pep Guardiola is keen not to give too much away about Manchester City's pursuit of Alexis Sanchez, and has instead hit out at UEFA for allowing transfers to be made after league campaigns have started.
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Goal has previously reported that Alexis is a priority target for City and that Arsenal are aware that the Chilean currently has no desire to sign a new deal at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsene Wenger has insisted that Alexis will not be allowed to leave the club, though City remain hopeful that they will be able to strike a deal. Paris Saint-Germain are also said to be interested.
City are also hoping to secure the signing of Monaco left-back Benjamin Mendy, though the French club have been holding out for more than £50 million since City lost out on Dani Alves and signed Kyle Walker for an initial fee of £45m.
Guardiola was asked about the progress of City's pursuit of Alexis, but instead preferred to shift the agenda and criticise the lay-out of the transfer window.
"Alexis is a player from Arsenal," he told a press conference. "Arsene said that [Alexis will stay], it’s because he knows more than me. Unfortunately, the market finishes the 31st, I think that’s a huge mistake from UEFA. I think the market should finish when we start the season, it’s too long, too large.
"We are playing here with guys who maybe will not continue, or with players who are coming but are not here. We are playing in a situation where we don’t know exactly what is going to happen for the rest of the season, so we miss time.
"For all the managers. Hopefully in the future UEFA can think about that and the deadline will be the day we start the competition. And for the players I’ve said the players are of other teams so I cannot say too much. I don’t like when the other team’s managers talk about our players so for us it’s the same."
Guardiola confirms interest in Danilo
Guardiola did confirm that City are currently in talks with three or four players, but refused to go into detail on their pursuit of Mendy amid rumours the Frenchman is already in Manchester.
"We are talking with not too much players, with three or four players to come and join us," he added. "Not just for next season but the next three, four, five years, because they are all young players.
"[Mendy] is like the case of Danilo and the other ones, we have targets, with Danilo and the other ones and we are going to see what happens, but now he’s a Monaco player so I have to try to be quiet in my comments."
