Pep Guardiola Talks Manchester City Defensive Options, Leroy Sane Exit Rumours

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said he is content with the club's defensive options and that he expects Leroy Sane to still be a City player beyond the transfer deadline.

City skipper Vincent Kompany left the club at the end of the previous season, moving to Anderlecht to become player-manager. It means City have John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi and Aymeric Laporte as their only natural centre-backs ahead of the new campaign.

While City have been linked with some central defenders, the club's manager has said he's not concerned about being a player short in this facet of the squad compared to last season, per the Press Association (h/t the Guardian).

"We are so happy with the squad we have," said Guardiola. "I don't know if the players here will stay or new players will come, but I am delighted with the players we have. Maybe [we will buy] but we have three incredible central defenders and Fernandinho can play in that position. We will see."

Kompany played a key role for City late last season, as they added the Premier League title and FA Cup to the League Cup they lifted earlier in the campaign. However, the 33-year-old only made 13 starts in the top flight overall.

As noted in the report, City have been linked with Leicester City star Harry Maguire. According to Miguel Delaney of The Independent, as things stand, it's Manchester United who are leading the chase for Maguire, with City "currently reluctant to properly enter the race."

While Kompany's leadership qualities have long been heralded, on the field he was a colossus for City too, meaning he'll leave a void at the Etihad Stadium:

At the other end of the field, City are stacked with attacking quality, although Sane has been subject to incessant speculation throughout the summer, with Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge again confirming their interest in the winger recently.

However, Guardiola said he expects Sane to be at City for a while yet. "For a long time they (Bayern) are talking about [it] but Leroy is our player," he said. "Hopefully he can stay here and the next season, and the next season."

Late last season, Guardiola opted against starting Sane in a number of crucial games, although he still finished the campaign with impressive figures:

Sane only has until 2021 to run on his City deal, so the club will need to tie him down to fresh terms if he is to have a long-term future at the Etihad. It'll also be intriguing to see if Guardiola places more trust in the 23-year-old when it comes to the crunch fixtures in 2019-20.

After winning the domestic treble last season, it'll take something extraordinary for City to reach those heights again in the coming season. If they are to add the UEFA Champions League to that haul, keeping Sane and adding another high-class defender feels imperative.