Pep: City won't target short-term fix in Jan

Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City won’t settle for short-term fixes in the January transfer window in a bid to arrest their damaging run of form.

City drew 1-1 with Everton at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day to make it just one win from their last 13 games in all competitions.

Guardiola said he needs new players in January, but he insisted the club will only look at signings who can make an impact for “four or five years.”

“The transfer window in the winter is not easy,” Guardiola said. “Even the players know that we have to add some new players. But after, when these players come and play in their positions then they are unhappy.

“But we have a lot [of injuries] and this is a problem. It’s about bringing a player for the next four or five years and we’ll have to see. Sometimes it is not easy. We have to try because this is sustained for a long time.”

City went ahead against Everton thanks to Bernardo Silva‘s deflected opener only for Iliman Ndiaye to score an impressive equaliser before half-time.

Erling Haaland had the chance to make it 2-1 from the spot but saw his second-half penalty expertly saved by Jordan Pickford. City failed to create anything of note afterwards and Everton looked most likely to win the game in the closing stages as Guardiola’s problems continue to mount.

“I think we were very patient,” he said. “That is the momentum of the season, that is a little bit of the situation.

“Everything takes more time to make it work. With the table, I have no argument. Football is about winning, scoring goals and not conceding, and we’ve always done it until the last month and a half. We’re not able to do it.”