Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 7y

Pep Guardiola wanted Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne at Bayern Munich

MANCHESTER -- Pep Guardiola has said he tried to sign both Leroy Sane and Kevin De Bruyne when he was in charge at Bayern Munich.

The Manchester City manager left Bayern at the end of the 2016 season to move to the Etihad Stadium, where De Bruyne had been signed from Wolfsburg a year earlier, and made Schalke's Sane one of his first signings.

Both have become key players for City, but Guardiola refuted recent suggestions in Germany that he left Bayern because of a disagreement with the board, stressing that he had never fallen out with them over transfer dealings.

"I don't know why the people said that because it's totally false," he told a news conference ahead of City's game at Watford on Saturday. "I was so happy working with that club.

"I will always be grateful to [Karl-Heinz] Rummenigge for giving me the opportunity to train one of the best clubs in the world.

"The reason that I moved on is because I had the pleasure to come to England to train here.

"They said maybe they were interested in Sane but Leroy was not interested during my period there. Kevin de Bruyne too -- Bayern Munich don't pay a huge amount of money to buy Kevin but we were not able to do that.

"All the things we did there, there was always an agreement with Bayern Munich bosses. It was a pleasure to be there."

Guardiola has been full of praise for Belgium international De Bruyne, who he described as "one of the best players I've ever seen in my life" after the 4-0 Champions League victory over Feyenoord on Wednesday.

De Bruyne will be in the squad for the Watford game, but captain Vincent Kompany will not be fit despite having returned to full training as he recovers from a calf strain.

Yaya Toure has been missing from Guardiola's last two matchday squads for "sporting reasons," but the City boss has not closed the door on the Ivorian midfielder returning.

"I need him, we need him," he said. "He was so important last season. He'll be so important this season.

"I admire him. What he's done in his career is exceptional."

Guardiola is expecting a much tougher game against Watford than last season when his side strolled to a 5-0 victory in Walter Mazzarri's final match as the Hertfordshire club's manager.

Fourth-placed Watford remain unbeaten under new boss Marco Silva and Guardiola said: "I was impressed with their last performance against Southampton [a 2-0 win].

"In the first half, they dominated. They are so physical. They have fast players and a good manager. What he did at Hull was amazing. He is a fantastic trainer.

"With their throw-ins and quality up front, it will be so demanding -- for the game itself and also because we are playing so quickly after the Champions League. The big teams have to handle these situations."

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