Manchester City have turned down the opportunity to re-sign Edin Dzeko as a short-term solution to their striker problem.
But manager Pep Guardiola remains unconcerned about the lack of orthodox firepower as his team aims to hold onto top place against Sheffield United on Saturday.
Sergio Aguero remains out of Guardiola’s squad as he continues to battle back from a positive test for Covid-19 and has not scored a league goal since netting against Chris Wilder’s side over 12 months ago.
Meanwhile, the only other specialist senior striker in the City line-up, Gabriel Jesus, has netted just twice in the top flight this season.
Still, the lack of orthodox front men has hardly impeded City this term, as Guardiola was quick to point out.
“Our goal difference is the best in the league right now. If our game is good, we will score goals. if our game is not good, we will not score goals,” Guardiola said.
“I never put pressure on Sergio and Gabriel to solve all the problems we have up front. The reason why we score goals and win games is because our game itself is better, nothing more secret.
“There are games I need a striker and other games I prefer to play without a proper one but whether you play with a striker or not you have to have six, seven players arrive to the box.
“It is another way to read the game. Sometimes I need one, sometimes two, sometimes I need a striker to drop to play with the midfield players – it depends on the opponents and the skills of my players.
“It is what I feel. Some games I need it, some games I don’t.”
City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is currently their leading league scorer with seven goals, although an impressive total of 13 different players have netted in top-flight games and 17 have scored in all competitions.
Dzeko, 34, will not offer a solution for the occasions when Guardiola does need a striker, however, with City having turned down overtures from his club Roma to offload him.
The former City frontman, a two-time title winner in his five years at the club, remains a cult favourite with supporters but now could be involved in a swap deal with Inter Milan’s Alexis Sanchez.
Guardiola seemed to confirm that City will not be buying Dzeko, or any other striker, in the days remaining In the window.
“I don’t talk about the transfer market here,” he said.
“My feeling is that we will finish the season with everyone that we started the season with. I don’t think anything else will happen. We will see in the final few days.”
Defender Nathan Ake is the only other senior star alongside Aguero unavailable for Guardiola as his team looks to avoid the fate suffered by Manchester United, who were shock losers to Sheffield United at home in midweek.
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