“If you want to join us…” – Pep Guardiola reveals his pitch to Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi in January

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has outlined his role in convincing Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi to join forces with him in January.

City enjoyed a stellar January transfer window as they strengthened their attack and defence with the stellar acquisitions of Semenyo and Guehi respectively amid their chase for silverware on several fronts in the second half of the season.

Semenyo grabbed his fourth goal in Manchester City colours in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham last week and after starting in midweek against Newcastle United, the Ghanian is expected to start – alongside Guehi – against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Guehi has also seamlessly integrated into the first-team ranks at the Etihad Stadium and after being ineligible to represent City in recent Carabao Cup and UEFA Champions League games, the 25-year-old will be integral for the Blues in their Premier League run-in.

Guardiola gave a peak through the curtain into his role in convincing transfer targets to join Manchester City as he previewed Sunday’s must-win Premier League meeting with Liverpool. “I can tell all the big things I believe the club has, but they have to feel it,” the 55-year-old said.

“I always say when I speak with the players or the club speaks with players, I tell them, ‘Sleep with your pillow’. They have to be convinced. Don’t come here if you feel it. I think also from the outside they see what the club is, the way they play, in terms as a team. And after the club, I can tell what I truly, truly believe. I never say something that I believe the club is not.

“I say, ‘We have very good things, there are other ones that maybe could be better’. But as a team, from our perspective, the chairman and the owners always go forward and go better, and always we are still there, still up there as long as possible for years and decades.

“Try to convince them, like all the managers, the club is going for the players. At the end, the final decision belongs to the players. I say, ‘Decide yourself, not your agent, not your mum and dad. If you want to join us, if you want to play with us’, and that’s all.”

Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana has received huge plaudits for his shrewd recruitment since he replaced Txiki Begiristain last summer, signing Gianluigi Donnarumma for a mouth-watering £26 million on the final day of the 2025 summer transfer window before adding Semenyo and Guehi to the squad for a combined £84 million in January.

On whether he thinks Manchester City are great at spotting opportunities in the market and pouncing on them, Guardiola added: “Well, we had a lot of problems for John (Stones) and Nathan (Ake) and sometimes you are not ready.

“And when you have incredible problems with Josko (Gvardiol) and Ruben (Dias) for long injuries, I said, ‘Oh wow, we are in real trouble for the most (important) part of the season’. And we had that opportunity and Marc (Guehi), at the end, as I said, I’m grateful to Marc for deciding to join us.

“Marc at the end could stay at Crystal Palace and at the end of the season, (become a) free agent and go wherever he wants. I think Marc and Hugo (Viana), Ferran (Soriano), the rest of the people, made an incredible job to convince him to come.”

Guardiola will be grateful to Viana and co for their continued backing in the transfer market and while City possess all the tools to have a successful finish to the season on paper, it remains to be seen whether the Blues can overturn their recent slump in the coming months.