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Man City squad is best in Premier League, says Manuel Pellegrini

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments650

Manuel Pellegrini

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says the club's summer transfer business has made his squad the best in the Premier League.

The Chilean, who took charge at Etihad Stadium in June, has spent almost £90m on four signings and says Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo, Fernandinho and Stevan Jovetic make City the team to beat.

He said: "I think we have the best squad in England.

"We already had a very good team and, with these four players, we improved."

He added: "We hope that we will start winning from the first match against Newcastle at home. We will try to bring another trophy here."

Meanwhile, City striker Sergio Aguero should be fit for the start of the new season.

The Argentina international, signed for a reported £38m from Atletico Madrid in 2011, is due to return to training next week having not featured for the club since injuring his knee in the post-season friendly against Chelsea in May.

But City will be missing Serbia defender Matija Nastasic for the first month of the season with an ankle problem. The 20-year-old was injured in last month's Asia Trophy final win over Sunderland.

His absence means England international Joleon Lescott could be given the chance to partner Vincent Kompany at centre-back.

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650 comments

  • Comment posted by lance_is_free, at 16:43 9 Aug 2013

    People need to bear in mind that Pellegrini's comments are taken out of context. He has probably been interviewed at length and has been asked about the City squad. Why wouldn't he say he's got the best squad? It won't inspire his team to say otherwise. Typical BBC rubbish.

  • Comment posted by U15756744, at 15:58 9 Aug 2013

    There are too many great forwards in the league to make a fantasy team. Don't know who to pick.

  • Comment posted by U15421776, at 19:16 9 Aug 2013

    It's not Slutana's fault he cant grasp United's history. To be fair, he can't get hold of the local papers in Essex.

  • Comment posted by U15712565, at 17:19 9 Aug 2013

    108. smudgersi

    Buying the league? If Suarez moves to Arsenal that'll be NINE £30m+ transfers in England, only one will be United's. There will also be a total of FOURTEEN clubs in Europe (four in England) with higher transfer records.

    But don't let the truth blind your prejudices.

    City arguably do have the best squad. Can Pellegrini live with the pressure he's just placed on himself?

  • Comment posted by kompanyman, at 21:17 9 Aug 2013

    Worry about moyes and his invincibles.......dont worry about Man City.
    Worry about Fellani and Bains....LOL
    Worry about Rooney
    Worry about Van the Man getting injured
    Worry about Wellbeck being his replacement
    Worry about the boys in middfield ???
    Worry about the Old Men in defence
    Just worry,

  • Comment posted by Redallover, at 20:26 9 Aug 2013

    Judging by the silence at OT tonight, it could be slowly dawning on them that they're going to be fighting with the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool for 3rd and 4th places. Moyes looks worried. Top 2 places will probably be the battle of the rich clubs.

  • Comment posted by U15549339, at 16:01 9 Aug 2013

    I'm a city fan and completely agree we do have the best squad and i believe the same could have been said last year however we dont play the best football by a long shot and looked lost for ideas many times last season hopefully that will change. navas is the best buy we've made looked good through pre season yet to be convnced by fernandinho but someone thinks hes worth 30+m I hope they're right

  • Comment posted by confounder, at 20:42 9 Aug 2013

    Of course, City have the best squad. Having spent almost a billion pounds over a short period, they should have the best squad, otherwise, it would be incompetence of the highest order.

    If I spent 200,000 on a Lamborghini, I would expect it to be better than a Ford Focus although this analogy is wrong as City are far from a Lamborghini.

    Luckily, the best squads don't win trophies, best teams do.

  • Comment posted by U15784505, at 16:53 10 Aug 2013

    Man City play NO youngsters

    £200m worth of internationals seen off by Arsenal

    Wenger>>>>>>>>> Pellegrini

  • Comment posted by Akingsnorth, at 18:24 10 Aug 2013

    woahhh, theres lots of hate towards arsenal, but wait, who just beat man city's "best squad" 3-1?

    Certainly weren't man city :D

  • Comment posted by U15347546, at 18:25 9 Aug 2013

    I would probably argue the best squad is probably City. The best 11 is probably Chelsea. The Dark horse would probably be Arsenal (solely because of the stability of the manager and you can never discount them) and don't rule out Tottenham to push for Champions League too. United will be interesting to watch with Moyes whether he can hit the ground running too.
    From a Liverpool fan

  • Comment posted by User0067744872, at 18:30 10 Aug 2013

    Yes they might have the best squad but they way Arsenal tore through them today not the best manager.

  • Comment posted by RayElfman, at 16:50 10 Aug 2013

    BREAKING NEWS FROM HELSINKI

    Big spending City 1 Arsenal (with a 16 year old) 3

  • Comment posted by U15642707, at 16:37 10 Aug 2013

    man city's strikers have just carried on from last year

    they won a title and FA cup in 5 years so they can live off that glory for 5 more!

    mertesacker (half asleep & no pace) is schooling fernandinho, silva, toure, negredo et al and penguin pellegrini is trying to peek at the master AW's ipad

    25 years in management and pellegrini is clueless!

  • Comment posted by U15642707, at 16:23 10 Aug 2013

    1 chelsea
    2 man utd
    3 spurs
    4 city-----------pellegrini sacked
    5 arsenal
    6 swansea
    7 liverpool----rodgers knighted for 2 successive years of magnificent improvement

  • Comment posted by EjukayshunWurks, at 08:48 10 Aug 2013

    @ 297 sumabees shirt

    Aren't they 18 other teams in the Prem? Why have you aimed your comments at just Man U? Worried?

    By the way. If you see a little red squiggly line under a word you've typed, it means you've spelt it wrong. For example middfield would be midfield.Their surnames are Summerbee, not Sumabee.

    Good luck blending in to society upon your release.

  • Comment posted by avid fencesitter, at 22:04 9 Aug 2013

    @330
    Wengers hand is empty pal, and by the time the qualifiers are done its too late, he put it all on that stupid +1 pound Suarez bid. why not just bid 45 mill instead of winding Liverpool up

  • Comment posted by U15567490, at 23:41 10 Aug 2013

    Liverpool are not showing Suarez why he shouldn't be putting a transfer request in by losing to Celtic today, where we beat Man City. Friendly or not, no harm in showing we mean business! Wenger offloaded the deadwood, determined to get Suarez even by breaking the salary cap, maybe he thinks he's in with a good shout now Fergie hanged up his oversized coat

  • Comment posted by U15757850, at 17:03 10 Aug 2013

    Best squad? Maybe...

    Best "Team"? Nope.

  • Comment posted by U15567490, at 16:39 10 Aug 2013

    New Wenger had something up his sleeve, don't matter if a friendly, should play well for your club no matter what. Only team in the top half that have already played a season together, no changes in our camp. Can see why he wants Suarez though, a top goal scorer already played in the prem that can settle right into another team without causing unbalance to the squad

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