MANCHESTER – Pep Guardiola cast fresh doubt over the future of Joe Hart by refusing to confirm that the goalkeeper will still be at Manchester City when the transfer window closes.
The Spaniard, who has selected goalkeepers who are more assured in possession than Hart at his previous clubs, is an admirer of Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The German has more in common with Victor Valdes, who was Guardiola’s first choice at Barcelona, and Manuel Neuer, who was a stalwart of his Bayern Munich side.
And while Guardiola praised Hart, he was non-committal about whether the England international will remain at the Etihad Stadium by admitting that City have some major decisions to make.
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“I’m so happy about Joe’s qualities, his behaviour and what he means to this club,” said Guardiola. “After we are going to decide inside the doors. Now, he is a player of us.”
Hart is City’s longest-serving player, making 347 appearances since his arrival from Shrewsbury a decade ago and has been their first-choice goalkeeper for six years, barring a brief spell in 2013 when Manuel Pellegrini dropped him for Costel Pantilimon.
And Hart endured a traumatic time at Euro 2016 as he was at fault for the goals Wales’ Gareth Bale and Iceland’s Kolbeinn Sigthorsson scored.
One who is assured of a pivotal part in his rearguard is John Stones, 22, and Guardiola is likely to parachute him in for a debut, four days after City made the centre-back the second most expensive defender in football history, when his side host Sunderland on Saturday.
Stones completed a £47.5 million (Dh226.4m) move from Everton on Tuesday and Guardiola was delighted to bring in a player who he believes has the footballing qualities to set him apart from the majority of defenders.
“I think he is important for us: an English player, a young player, a huge talent, not just like a central defenders, with his ability to build up, with his intelligence to read the next step and the next pass,” he said. “We are happy to have him.”
While Stones has not had as much time to acclimatise to his new colleagues as Guardiola, 45, would like, the Spaniard believes his pre-season programme with Everton will allow him to play.
“The people who are intelligent read exactly what is going on,” he added. “That is why we took him. I think he’s ready.
“He is fit. He played four, five, six friendly games for [Everton manager] Ronald Koeman.”
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However, Leroy Sane, City’s £38m acquisition from Schalke is not fit, with a hamstring injury that will rule him out of the first leg of their Uefa Champions League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest on August 16.
Guardiola believes City have to play with “soul” as he urged his team to show the desire to compensate for their inability to play perfect football yet.
The Spaniard admitted it will take time for City to adapt to his brand of football but he is adamant there is no excuse for a lack of commitment.
“To create something we need time, to create something with ideas to attack we need time. But to play with soul and something inside we don’t need time,” he explained. “We don’t know if everyone is going to play good or if we will get the result but I will not accept not playing with soul.”
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak attended training today and will be at the Sunderland game and Guardiola welcomed his employer’s presence.
“He met the new players – [Oleksandr] Zinchenko, John Stones and Nolito,” he said.
“I am grateful. He is so polite when we talk about football. The three of four times we spoke together were always good.”
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