Gary Neville is convinced Pep Guardiola has been promised a complete rebuild of his Manchester City team next summer after signing a new contract.
Guardiola ended mounting speculation over his future by signing a two-year contract extension at the Etihad Stadium. His previous deal was set to expire at the end of the current season.
Hopes that news would suddenly lift City’s form after a run of four consecutive defeats before the international break were dashed on Saturday evening however with the champions thrashed 4-0 at home against Tottenham.
A fifth straight defeat could leave City eight points behind league leaders Liverpool by the time the weekend is through with Arne Slot’s side in action against Southampton on Sunday.
City’s problems stem from the absence of Rodri in midfield with the Ballon d’Or winner ruled out for the rest of the season. City are expected to bring in another midfielder in January with an injury for Mateo Kovacic heightening their need for immediate reinforcements.
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville expects a major addition in January but believes there are major issues to address across the side, with the problems deeper than the absence of Rodri.
While Guardiola has committed to City for another two years, Neville believes he will have been promised a huge summer transfer budget next year to rectify the current problems.
‘It feels like today if City were to win the title this season I think it would be Pep Guardiola’s greatest Premier League,. Because of what we’ve seen so far,’ he told the Gary Neville Podcast.
‘I think they will do the business in January and get a midfield player in, that’s no1. But to get Pep to stay again, they have obviously promised him a great contract but they must have also promised him a reinvestment next summer that is quite spectacular and a rebuild of this team.
‘I would imagine they will wait for that. I don’t think we will see two or three or four in January, maybe just one to sort the midfield issue out.
‘But it’s not just Rodri. Rico Lewis came in today [against Tottenham] with Bernardo Silva on the right, Gundogan and Savinho on the left and Phil Foden in front of them and they have been obliterated.
‘The back for look knackered. They look absolutely beat. They were all beaten physically and mentally.’