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Pep Guardiola won't discuss Alexis Sanchez or Jonny Evans but says transfer market going to wire

Pep Guardiola says a number of clubs will be monitoring Alexis Sanchez's situation at Arsenal
Image: Pep Guardiola would not answer questions about Manchester City's interest in Alexis Sanchez

Pep Guardiola would not be drawn on Manchester City's targets at his Friday press conference but predicted late action in the transfer market.

The City boss stonewalled questions about Kylian Mbappe, Alexis Sanchez and even Lionel Messi as he faced the media ahead of Saturday's Sky Live game at Bournemouth.

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Guardiola again insisted he is happy with his squad after spending more than £200m on five players this summer but indicated he will stay on the lookout until Thursday's deadline.

"We're going to see," he said. "There are five or six days left and I think the market's going to move until the last moment.

"All the managers wait until the last seconds to make the transfers cheaper."

Messi was again linked with City this week in the English newspapers, but Guardiola repeated his "dream" for the Argentine to see out his career at Barcelona.

And hours after his director of football Txiki Begiristain apparently closed the door on a move for Monaco's Mbappe, Guardiola said: "He's a young talent who will decide his future."

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Pep Guardiola says it is his dream for Lionel Messi to spend his whole career at Barcelona despite being linked with the player

The Catalan offered less still when questioned about any lingering interest in Arsenal's Sanchez, another of his former Barca players, although his mention of West Brom's Jonny Evans was unprompted.

"Alexis is an Arsenal player," he said, "like Mbappe is a Monaco player, like Jonny Evans is a West Bromwich Albion player. Normally I don't talk about players from other clubs."

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Guardiola says Napoli are the third best team in Europe at the moment and will be tough to play against in the Champions League

Albion boss Tony Pulis said on Friday there had been no recent City bid for his centre-half, who was the subject of a failed £18m offer earlier this month.

City are without the banned Kyle Walker this weekend, while Ilkay Gundogan continues his rehabilitation with a game in the U23 side.

Danilo will start at right-back while Benjamin Mendy will travel, although Guardiola is yet to decide if his £49.2m full-back will feature.

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