Manchester City tried to sign Harry Kane four times, reveals Pep Guardiola

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed that the club approached Tottenham Hotspur four times over signing star striker Harry Kane last summer. Ahead of City's Premier League clash against the Spurs, the Spaniard also admitted that he feared the lack of a striker could derail their season. Man City will face Harry Kane for the first time since missing out on him last summer as the 28-year-old striker did not play in Tottenham's 1-0 win earlier in the season.

Manchester City looks on course to win the Premier League title again as they hold a nine-point lead over Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, having secured 63 points from 25 games. 

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Confirming that City tried to sign the England international on multiple occasions, Guardiola added that Tottenham was clear in their stance regarding Kane.

"I never was, in my 11 or 12 years, disappointed in what the club cannot do in the transfer market. I've never created a fire here because I represent the club, and the club is always beyond myself by far. We tried [to sign Kane], but it was far away to be done because Tottenham was clear this was not going to happen. And when it happens two, three, four times, it's over," the Manchester City manager said.

Insisting that at that point in time, he was not aware of what not signing a striker as Kane would mean for City's future, Guardiola added, "Now you can say 'Harry Kane didn't come and everything is going well', but at the time I didn't know it. When we lost to Spurs and Leicester in the Community Shield. And I don't know what will happen in the next few weeks."

"The club gave me players, and I'm always delighted - and it's then what we can do together. Maybe if we had a proper striker, we would play with a striker, but with the players we have, we have to adapt," Guardiola added.

City has scored 61 goals in the league this season despite not having a regulation striker, with Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Bernado Silva leading from the front.

Highlighting that the players do the best they can for him and the club, Guardiola added, "The club is beyond everyone, and I know they do the best for me. I know them; when we lose, we are sad, but nobody is pointing fingers saying, 'your fault, your fault, your fault.' We don't do that. I don't feel they talk bad about me when we have bad results. That's why I'm happy here. At other clubs, when you lose, it's 'what's the problem?'

Emphasising that the important thing is to continue fighting, the Spaniard said that the team tries to play better each time, no matter who plays, and they will continue to do so.

Meanwhile, Guardiola also delighted to see Raheem Sterling 'back at his best'. The England forward has had an impressive for lately, including a hat-trick he scored against Norwich last weekend and a sensational goal in the 5-0 Champions League last-16 first-leg win against Sporting Lisbon. Across all competitions, Sterling has scored 13 goals so far this season.

"(His confidence) is higher. Always the goal is a consequence of his confidence, and the confidence comes with his smile and mood. You cannot play well or improve when your mood is down. It's impossible. Good faces - you cannot imagine how important it is," Guardiola said.

"When you are all the time complaining, and I am not talking about Raheem because it is not the case and it was not the case, but in general, when someone was here complaining about lack of minutes or whatever, you cannot be better or improve, and you are going to perform bad," the City manager added.

"I saw the first half against Sporting; you see the intensity in all his movements, defensively especially, offensively as well...it's magnificent. It's what Raheem has done (for) many, many years becoming, in terms of stats in terms of the national team, a key player. And for us, for me personally, I am very glad he is back to his best because we need him," Guardiola remarked.

Manchester City will be keen to sign a striker again in the summer transfer window, with rumours doing rounds that they are closely watching Erling Haaland's situation. Although Guardiola's side did add to their forward line in January with the signing of River Plate sensation Julian Alvarez, the club has failed to fill the big boost of legendary striker Sergio Aguero.

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The 22-year-old Argentine signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with City before being loaned back to River until the end of the season. Alvarez scored a hat-trick in his first game since signing for the Pep Guardiola side last week.

"The club is always working; it never stops. If five players say they want to leave, we have to be ready. Julian scored three goals in the last game for River Plate, and Man City made an incredible deal because he is a player who moves really well; the goals he scores are like Jamie Vardy's. We'll see what happens in the future," the Spaniard concluded.