Pep Guardiola confirms Manchester City want to sign Harry Kane

Pep Guardiola has confirmed Manchester City would like to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham. The Premier League champions have had a £100 million (€118 million) offer rejected and their manager made clear they would like to reopen negotiations.

Guardiola was talking a day after City smashed the British transfer record by buying Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for £100 million. Kane is desperate to join City but Spurs have said they do not want to sell, and the signs are it would take at least £150 million (€177 million) to land him.

“He is a player for Tottenham Hotspur and if Tottenham don’t want to negotiate, it is finished,” Guardiola said. “I think Man City and many clubs in the world want to try to sign him, we are not an exception, but it depends on Tottenham.

“It is different to Jack. He had the release [clause]and Jack is different. Harry is exceptional and we are interested in him but if Tottenham don’t want to negotiate, nothing more to say.”

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Kane has failed to report to Tottenham’s training ground this week, the club having expected him back last Monday, but tweeted on Friday: “While I won’t go into the specifics of the situation, I want to clarify that I would never, and have never, refused to train. I will be returning to the club tomorrow, as planned.”

Grealish's arrival has swelled City's attacking options and Guardiola said Bernardo Silva was one of several players keen to move. "Not just Bernardo, there are two, three, four players who want to leave but they are our players under contract and when they bring some offers and want to leave, we are open to discuss for absolutely everything with all the players in the squad," he said. "But it depends on them and otherwise they continue to train and I decide if they play or don't play."

Guardiola did not explicitly rule out attempting to sign Lionel Messi after Barcelona announced on Thursday the forward would leave the club. Guardiola expressed surprise at events at his former club and said: "Right now it is not in our thoughts [to sign Messi], absolutely not."

He said the deal for Grealish had been possible only because players had been sold. “When we could spend this money, a lot is because we could sell £60 million. We sell young players from the academy and loan players for £60 million and when you sell for £60 million, it is possible [to spend £100 million]. – Guardian