Pep Guardiola is confident Erling Haaland and the rest of Manchester City's new signings will settle in swiftly, though he acknowledged the Premier League champions have lost some key players.
Club stalwart Fernandinho left when his contract expired at the end of last season, and City have sold three other players who played a role in Guardiola's success, with Raheem Sterling joining Chelsea while Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko departed for Arsenal.
City already have most of their replacements through the door. Julian Alvarez was signed in January and has now linked up with the squad, while a deal was struck with Borussia Dortmund for prolific striker Haaland in May.
Kalvin Phillips has been signed from Leeds United to bolster City's midfield and Stefan Ortega has joined as a back-up goalkeeper, facilitating a loan move to Middlesbrough for Zack Steffen.
City's new recruits could get their first taste of competitive action on Saturday, when Guardiola's side face FA Cup winners Liverpool in the Community Shield.
Though he has been impressed with how quickly the new arrivals have started their City careers, Guardiola emphasised how important the players who have moved on were to his squad.
He told a news conference: "If you analyse what happened in the last years, without these important players it would be difficult to imagine it. We wish all of them the best.
"New people arrived, they settled quickly, down to earth and very humble people. We are going to try, this is Manchester City, we are all of us, we try to be a competitive team, to win our first title.
"It's an honour to compete again [for the Community Shield], we will try to do a good game against an opponent we know well, it will dictate a little bit how is our moment, our level. Two, three weeks of pre-season is too short, but I saw many good things in this period."
Asked if it would take time for his new players to adapt, Guardiola said: "Hopefully not, the quicker they settle the better. It's my feeling they will not take time.
"Stefan surprised us a lot, how good he is on the ball and with our build-up, Kalvin knows the Premier League perfectly. The way they've listened, behaved, the minutes they've played. I think they'll settle quickly."
Guardiola was pressed on whether this was a "reset" the squad required, but the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss stressed that was not necessarily the case.
"Sometimes the transfer market dictates what you want to do," he explained. "The first season when we arrived we tried to loan, sell players and could not. This year I do not know what happened.
"Sometimes you want to do things, but it depends not just how good or bad we are but on the situations, and these situations happened quicker than we expected.
"The three players who have been sold, if they stayed with us they would have been incredibly happy. I know them, they [would have] continued to do what they had done. These situations have happened, we make our replacements, and they are here.
"Normally when a project is six, seven years, you are not seven years with the same people. When I arrived there was just Kevin [De Bruyne]. We have gratitude for the guys that were here. All the players have made an incredible contribution, we can only be grateful."
City are interested in signing Brighton and Hove Albion left-back Marc Cucurella, who on Friday was said to have handed in a transfer request in an attempt to push through a move, with the Seagulls reportedly holding out for a £50million fee.
Guardiola refused to comment further, though he did note it was an area of the pitch City would like to strengthen if possible.
Aymeric Laporte, meanwhile, is likely to be out until at least September after having knee surgery, Guardiola confirmed.
Guardiola: Foden can still get better after Player of the Year award
Pep Guardiola thinks Phil Foden can still get better, after the 23-year-old winning the Premier League’s Player of the Year.
Foden has been a pivotal part of City’s title challenge this season, scoring 17 goals and providing eight assists in the top-flight in 2023-24.
It is the youngster’s most prolific scoring season for City, while only six players have bettered Foden’s goal haul in the Premier League.
When asked about the strides that Foden has made this season, leading him to the award, Guardiola praised the England international’s influence on the squad.
"Obviously, he makes a step forward as a football player. In terms of minutes or time, but he's decisive in winning games," Guardiola said.
"Maybe before it was a glimpse of action, but now it's consistent. That is the truth, but they still have a margin. Sometimes his game is overexcited, it's over, and you have to be more calm because his excitement he has for himself, but we'll have question of time, but this season has been really, really important. Really, really important."
Foden has bettered his tally of 11 goals from last season and leads City’s squad for chances created this campaign with 68.
"He's moving forward, but I had the feeling he can be better, and I think he can do it because I've said many times, that he loves football," Guardiola added.
"He enjoys being on the pitch, and I think the feeling doesn't like when you have the day off.
"He likes to be in the training session doing less or more and I had the feeling it still can be better."
Manchester City can win a fourth-consecutive Premier League title on Sunday against West Ham, if they can match or better Arsenal's result.
Guardiola: Other clubs have a chance to win the title against Man City
Pep Guardiola believes that other clubs do have the chance to win the Premier League while he is the Manchester City manager.
Guardiola has led the Citizens to five top-flight titles in his seven seasons in charge, including each of the last three in a row.
They have the opportunity to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League campaign – they must match or better Arsenal’s result on the final day against West Ham to finish top of the table.
Asked what he thought about the narrative that suggested other teams struggle to win the title while he is at City, Guardiola immediately brushed the idea aside.
He said: "It is wrong, look at the margin. If every season I won by 20 points, then I would say yes I am a genius, I'm so good, but it's not.
"The Premier League we won against Liverpool they could have won. Arsenal can win, we can win. It's like that.
"My judgement about the team, about how we behave, nothing changed, nothing changed. My opinion of Liverpool this year has not changed, whether they have won or not won.
"I know here there is just a prize for the winners and the winners smell good and everyone won a copy and everything, but it's not.
"It's not the case because behind of arriving here in the last press conference of the season before the last game of the Premier League there are a lot of work, like Liverpool was and Arsenal have been this season."
Guardiola was also quick to highlight the hard work of everybody at the club during their title challenge.
"It's not because of what we have done in the past gives you this season, it's completely the opposite," he continued.
"There are a lot of work for all departments. How many my backroom staff, the medical department, the physio department, how they care all the seasons, every single few, few injuries.
"Injuries are always there, but the balance is ridiculous, how good it is, and that's because there is a lot of work, they care about the players and the people, you know, every single day, hours and hours being above the players, you have to do this, you have to do this, you have to do this to be fit. So otherwise, we cannot be where we are."
The City manager was also asked about his future at the club, and whether he would be continuing past the end of the season.
"Yeah, I have a contract. I want to be here next season, yes," he added.
Man City star Foden scoops Premier League Player of the Year award
Phil Foden has been named the Premier League's Player of the Year, having been sensational for Manchester City this season.
Foden has scored 17 goals and provided a further eight assists in the top flight in 2023-24.
The 23-year-old has been pivotal in City's quest to win an unprecedented fourth Premier League title.
Pep Guaridola's team head into their final game of the season, in which they face West Ham at home, needing a win to guarantee the crown.
Only six players have bettered Foden's goal tally, with the attacker enjoying his most profitable scoring season for City.
Foden's 17 goals have come from an expected goals figure of 10, suggesting his finishing has been way above what would have been anticipated based on the quality of chances he has had.
The England international, meanwhile, has had 99 shots, and leads City's squad for chances created (68).
"To win this award is an achievement that I am extremely proud of," Foden told Man City's official website.
"Overall, I've been very happy with the way I have played this season and really pleased that I have been able to contribute with the goals and assists throughout the season.
"I'd like to thank all of the City staff, coaches and especially my teammates because without them this wouldn’t be possible.
"And I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for me as the award means a lot."
It is the fifth season in a row that a City player has won the award, with Kevin De Bruyne (2019-20, 2021-22), Ruben Dias (2020-21) and Erling Haaland (2022-23) having scooped it previously.
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