Pep Guardiola has brushed off suggestions that he is disappointed that Manchester City didn’t sign midfielder Jorginho this summer.
The Italy international was heavily linked with a move to Man City this summer from Napoli, with the Premier League champions reportedly having already agreed on terms with the Serie A side.
However, despite the player supposedly agreeing on personal terms, the deal broke down at the last minute, when Chelsea showed their interest in the midfielder, and were willing to outbid their Premier League rivals, who had struggled to reach a deal with Napoli.
Chelsea’s appointment of former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri seemed to be the decisive factor in Jorginho choosing Stamford Bridge over the Etihad, having worked together for three years in Naples.
However, despite missing out on one of his prime transfer targets once again, Pep Guardiola has denied that he is disappointed at not landing the player:
“Not disappointed. We tried. It was already done,” Guardiola told a press conference.
“All my advice for the players is they have to play where they want to go. It would have been a mistake for us and for him if he came here when he wanted to go with Maurizio.”
City also missed out on the signings of Alexis Sanchez in January and Fred earlier this summer, both who moved to rivals Manchester United.