Pep Guardiola hails Manchester City's fresh back four ahead of Leeds United test

MANCHESTER City boss Pep Guardiola says he will get his new-look back four going as quickly as possible ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash at Leeds United.
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Two days after being thumped 5-2 at home to Leicester City, Guardiola's side completed the signing of 23-year-old Portugal international centre-back Ruben Dias from Benfica for around £65m on Tuesday evening with 32-year-old Argentine centre-back Nicolas Otamendi moving the other way for £13.7m.

The following evening, Guardiola then saw his side keep a clean sheet in a 3-0 success at Burnley in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup with Dias not involved but with fellow centre-back Aymeric Laporte returning from injury and playing the full 90 minutes.

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Speaking after the game, Guardiola said Dias would then start training on Thursday with the City boss excited about the prospect of his new-look and young back four.

BIG MONEY PURCHASE: Portugal international centre-back Ruben Dias, left, pictured challenging the Netherlands' Donny van de Beek, has joined Manchester City for around £65m. Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.BIG MONEY PURCHASE: Portugal international centre-back Ruben Dias, left, pictured challenging the Netherlands' Donny van de Beek, has joined Manchester City for around £65m. Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.
BIG MONEY PURCHASE: Portugal international centre-back Ruben Dias, left, pictured challenging the Netherlands' Donny van de Beek, has joined Manchester City for around £65m. Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images.

"We know his personality and I am pretty sure he will be an incredible player for the next five, six, seven years," said Guardiola of Dias who joined on a six-year deal.

"We’re happy to have him. My compliments to the club to make this effort because now our back four is a young, young team with John (Stones), with Ruben with Taylor (Harwood-Bellis) with Ake (Nathan) with Ayme.

"It's a young, young team. We start tomorrow with the first day of training for us and settle as quickly as possible to play the games.

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"We are still a little bit far away from our best, we could not train, we had a lot of players out, six COVID guys, four injured and players with international teams.

"But step by step when we have all the squad we will get better and I hope we won't be far away from the people upfront."

City are still without their two main strikers with Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus both injured but Guardiola says Raheem Sterling is capable of filling the void.

“Yeah,” said Guardiola, asked if Sterling can cover for Aguero and Jesus on www.mancity.com.

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“Raheem has ability wherever he plays. I am incredibly delighted and happy with what Raheem gives me personally, but also this team, since we arrived four years ago.

"I was convinced he was a guy with incredible qualities.

"He can play every three days, his recovery, his desire to improve - he is a fantastic guy.

"I think he has improved a lot since we arrived, with his work ethic and dedication. With his finishing he knows he can do more, but he’s grown up a lot.”

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Thank you Laura Collins

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