Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has backed Pep Guardiola to "transform the team to a whole new level" ahead of the Spaniard's impending arrival at the Etihad Stadium.Guardiola will officially take up office in Manchester on July 1, but Goal can confirm that he has already made two secret visits to City's training headquarters in the past fortnight.
The Catalan, along with two members of his backroom staff, first arrived at the City Football Academy at the end of May, and was in attendance once again on Friday as he met senior club officials, including Txiki Begiristain and Brian Kidd.
He also met with Al Mubarak in Dubai last week following the City chairman's now customary annual review of the season.
And the City chief is confident Guardiola will bring "passion and commitment" to the Etihad as he looks to overhaul the squad that "disappointed" in Manuel Pellegrini's final season in charge.
"I’m absolutely excited about Pep joining our team," Al Mubarak told City's official website. "I consider Pep to be one of the best, if not the best, managers today in football.
"We are getting a manager that epitomises, in my view, passion and commitment. He’s a winner, he’s a proven winner, he has won professionally in every team he has coached, his record at Bayern Munich, his record at Barcelona, I think speaks for itself. The trophies he’s won… every single club competition out there, from the Champions League to La Liga to the Bundesliga, to the respective cups in both leagues he’s played.
"We are getting a proven winner, we are getting a passionate man, we are getting someone who I think will be an incredible asset to Manchester City. And I have no doubt that he will transform our team to a whole new level."
City have already secured the £20 million signature of Borussia Dortmund's Ilkay Gundogan and are expected to spend big this summer.
Centre-backs John Stones, of Everton, and Aymeric Laporte, of Athletic, have been identified as key targets to shake up the defence.
The club are also interested in Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin.
It is understood, however, that the club have abandoned previous interest in Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, who is being lined up by Manchester United and Real Madrid, and Toni Kroos, who recently spoke of his desire to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Arsenal's Jack Wilshere has been linked with City in recent weeks and sources have told Goal that the England midfielder was considering a move to the Etihad last summer, but it would be a shock if he were to arrive in the coming months.
City, though, are aware of a need to rejuvenate the squad, which limped to a fourth-placed Premier League finish last season.
Al Mubarak praised the work done by previous manager Manuel Pellegrini during his three years at the club, but says he "cannot hide" his disappointment at how the Chilean's final season panned out.
"Let’s be objective," he urged. "Over three years we won our second Premier League title in the history of the club, we’ve won two League Cups under Manuel, we’ve gone to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time, we’ve scored – I think – an incredible amount of goals. At one point, I think in our first season, we scored 151 goals in total, which was a club record and I think a league record.
"So there’s a lot of achievements that have been made in those three years that I think we all have to recognise… Manuel and the team around him, we should thank them and be grateful for these achievements.
"At the same time, I think we also can’t hide the disappointment, particularly this year. I think all of us came with high expectations for this season, and I think, at the end of the day, I cannot hide the disappointment of myself, obviously Sheikh Mansour, I know the fans of the club, and I’m sure the entire team."
The Catalan, along with two members of his backroom staff, first arrived at the City Football Academy at the end of May, and was in attendance once again on Friday as he met senior club officials, including Txiki Begiristain and Brian Kidd.
He also met with Al Mubarak in Dubai last week following the City chairman's now customary annual review of the season.
And the City chief is confident Guardiola will bring "passion and commitment" to the Etihad as he looks to overhaul the squad that "disappointed" in Manuel Pellegrini's final season in charge.
"I’m absolutely excited about Pep joining our team," Al Mubarak told City's official website. "I consider Pep to be one of the best, if not the best, managers today in football.
"We are getting a manager that epitomises, in my view, passion and commitment. He’s a winner, he’s a proven winner, he has won professionally in every team he has coached, his record at Bayern Munich, his record at Barcelona, I think speaks for itself. The trophies he’s won… every single club competition out there, from the Champions League to La Liga to the Bundesliga, to the respective cups in both leagues he’s played.
"We are getting a proven winner, we are getting a passionate man, we are getting someone who I think will be an incredible asset to Manchester City. And I have no doubt that he will transform our team to a whole new level."
City have already secured the £20 million signature of Borussia Dortmund's Ilkay Gundogan and are expected to spend big this summer.
Centre-backs John Stones, of Everton, and Aymeric Laporte, of Athletic, have been identified as key targets to shake up the defence.
The club are also interested in Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin.
It is understood, however, that the club have abandoned previous interest in Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, who is being lined up by Manchester United and Real Madrid, and Toni Kroos, who recently spoke of his desire to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Arsenal's Jack Wilshere has been linked with City in recent weeks and sources have told Goal that the England midfielder was considering a move to the Etihad last summer, but it would be a shock if he were to arrive in the coming months.
City, though, are aware of a need to rejuvenate the squad, which limped to a fourth-placed Premier League finish last season.
Al Mubarak praised the work done by previous manager Manuel Pellegrini during his three years at the club, but says he "cannot hide" his disappointment at how the Chilean's final season panned out.
"Let’s be objective," he urged. "Over three years we won our second Premier League title in the history of the club, we’ve won two League Cups under Manuel, we’ve gone to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time, we’ve scored – I think – an incredible amount of goals. At one point, I think in our first season, we scored 151 goals in total, which was a club record and I think a league record.
"So there’s a lot of achievements that have been made in those three years that I think we all have to recognise… Manuel and the team around him, we should thank them and be grateful for these achievements.
"At the same time, I think we also can’t hide the disappointment, particularly this year. I think all of us came with high expectations for this season, and I think, at the end of the day, I cannot hide the disappointment of myself, obviously Sheikh Mansour, I know the fans of the club, and I’m sure the entire team."
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