“If he wants to leave, I can’t stop him. It’s his choice; we don’t force players to stay at City,” admits Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, indicating he won’t prevent a £35m player from leaving this summer.

Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that he would not block a £35 million player if they choose to leave Manchester City this summer.

After City’s penalty loss to Barcelona, Guardiola addressed a key issue facing his team: potential player departures and arrivals, and overall team fitness and motivation ahead of the 2024/2025 season.

Guardiola is focused on preparing his squad for the next season and monitoring which players to retain.

For example, Ederson Moraes has expressed uncertainty about his future amid links to transfers to Saudi Arabia. Guardiola made a new statement on Ederson, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that Stefan Ortega would be his replacement.

Despite City’s comfort with this situation, losing Ederson would be a significant setback. The £35 million man has been a cornerstone of City’s success under Guardiola, alongside players like Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker, and John Stones.

Guardiola told TNT Sports Brazil that if Ederson decides to leave, he won’t stop him, though he wishes for him to stay.

He expressed admiration and affection for Ederson, acknowledging his contributions to the team and saying he would understand if Ederson needed to move on, despite the heartache it would cause.