Man Ciy squad and Guardiola have 'tensions' in dressing room

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 13 Nov 2024 14:29 GMT
• 4 min read

Manchester City are enduring something of a miniature crisis and there are tensions brewing behind the scenes, according to reports.

The Premier League champions have lost their last four matches in all competitions, their worst run of form under Pep Guardiola.

A nadir came in the Champions League last week when underdogs Sporting CP were able to turn the game around and win 4-1, in what was one of Ruben Amorim’s final games with the side.

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Things are going from bad to worse, especially with the club’s mounting injury concerns. But now The Athletic have reported that relationships behind the scenes are becoming fractious and there are even tensions brewing.

Their report read: "There have been other concerns, such as — according to sources who wish to remain anonymous to protect relationships — tension in the dressing room, including between Guardiola and some players.

"But that is not especially unusual at City (or most football clubs) and is something they have overcome several times to win titles, a process usually helped by winning lots of matches.”

It appears that poor results and spats in the dressing room go hand in hand. But a lot of the issues lie with the number of injuries that Man City have had for recent games.

Some players are set for a return to action after the international break, however. Ruben Dias is not expected to be out much longer, nor is Manuel Akanji and John Stones. However, Nathan Ake has another hamstring injury after picking one up earlier in the season so could be on the sidelines.

Guardiola's targets

It comes after FootballTransfers' exclusive from this week, where Man City sources informed us that the Spaniard has an eye on Brentford's Sepp van den Berg. We understand that the coach has liked the defender ever since was registered with Liverpool but on loan at Preston North End.

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Last summer, Man City asked the Bees about the availability of Van den Berg around the same time clubs in Germany showed interest in the Dutchman. However, the Reds ultimately accepted a strong offer from Brentford and he moved there for €23.6 million.

One source has told us that, since Van den Berg has only recently signed with Brentford, a move to Man City isn’t likely to materialise until the summer of 2025.

We understand that Jeremie Frimpong of Bayer Leverkusen is another player that Guardiola admires. The defender has a good relationship with the former Bayern Munich man, while he is also a graduate of the City academy.

Last season, Frimpong was pivotal in helping Bayer secure the Bundesliga title, with 14 goals across the season under Xabi Alonso.