Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said reports linking Kevin De Bruyne with a possible exit from the club are not correct, amid speculation the Belgian midfielder could head to Saudi Arabia.
De Bruyne, whose contract expires in 2025, said last month he would not rule out a move but Guardiola believes there will be no major changes to the squad before the end of the transfer window, which closes on August 30.
“Kevin is not leaving,” Guardiola told a news conference at North Carolina State University on Monday ahead of their opening game of the US tour against Celtic.
“I'm delighted with the squad for many years to come. I don't know what will happen in the market, if someone leaves we'll talk about it.”
“But we have 85-95% of it [will] “We have the same squad. We have had an impact on the market (over the years) and every situation is different. I feel comfortable because the quality we have in the squad is difficult to replace.”
City signed 20-year-old Brazilian winger Sávio last week and Guardiola confirmed Kalvin Phillips, who was on loan at West Ham United, has been training with the first team.
“[Sávio] “He can play on the wing and when he is one-on-one he is devastating,” Guardiola added.
“He's young and bringing in one or two players to keep the team fresh is necessary, but we can't change six or seven. It's impossible and unsustainable.”
“Many players want to come here but we can't reach agreements with the clubs and when they ask for a very high price we don't do it.”
City begin the defence of their Premier League title at Chelsea on August 18.
