I want a smaller squad or I'll quit: Pep Guardiola tells Manchester City

Pep Guardiola has made it clear that he would rather leave Manchester City than manage an overcrowded squad next season.

Speaking after City's 3-1 victory over Bournemouth, the manager, who is rebuilding following the club’s first trophyless season since 2017, said he has informed the board that he won't accept a bloated roster.

"I told the club I don't want that. I don't want to leave five or six players out of the squad every match," Guardiola said. "If that's the case, I will leave. I want a smaller squad—if I have that, I’ll stay. It breaks my heart to leave players in the stands who deserve to play."

On Tuesday, Guardiola left James McAtee, Savinho, and Rico Lewis out of the matchday squad. He faced similar selection dilemmas in Saturday's FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace.

A long-time advocate of maintaining a streamlined group of players, Guardiola was forced to adapt this season after a string of injuries, including a significant knee injury to Rodri, disrupted the team’s title defense by midseason.

City spent over $200 million in the January transfer window to rescue the campaign, signing Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Vitor Reis.

While more signings are expected this summer—particularly with Kevin De Bruyne departing as a free agent and Kyle Walker likely to follow—Guardiola is adamant about limiting squad size.

"I don’t want a squad of 24, 25, or 26 players when everyone is fit," he added. "If we get injuries, we’ll manage. We have academy players we can rely on.

"You can't maintain the emotional balance of the club and the soul of the team with too many players. We lost some of that connection this season."