Pep Guardiola is tired of answering questions on Manchester City’s failed move for Harry Kane after the England captain came back to haunt Manchester City – netting twice in a stunning 3-2 win for Tottenham. Ahead of this game of the season contender, much had been made of Kane’s failed move to the Etihad Stadium last summer after the champions reportedly saw four offers rebuffed by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.
City were desperate to land Kane but Tottenham simply wouldn’t budge. Now a deal appears to be dead in the water.
Kane put Tottenham ahead with a poacher’s finish from Son Heung-min’s cross in the second half after Ilkay Gundogan cancelled out Dejan Kulusevski’s opener.
Yet City appeared to snatch a point in stoppage-time when Riyad Mahrez lashed home a penalty after Cristian Romero handled in the box.
However, this game was not yet over and Spurs did not crack under pressure, instead forcing City back.
READ MORE: Harry Kane blows title race wide open as Tottenham stun Man City in epic Etihad thriller
It was Kulusevski who was able to dig out a cross which was grateful met by the forehead of Kane, who was never missing from inside the penalty box.
Spurs hung on for a statement victory that could well prove to be the turning point in their season as City and Guardiola were left to lick their wounds.
The Spaniard was not prepared to continue talking about Kane after the match, having already had to face a number of questions on City’s failed swoop ahead of the contest.
“He was never was an option [for us],” he snapped.
“Forget it, it’s the past and today he showed his quality. All of the UK knows it.”
Guardiola made it clear the champions tried everything within their power to make the deal happen before the start of the season but Tottenham were not willing to play ball.
“I was never in my 11 or 12-year career disappointed in what the club I manage cannot do in the transfer market,” he said.
“And I never created a fire here because I represent the club and the club is always beyond myself by far. When we have some talks and cannot agree, we do it internally.
“We tried [for Kane] but it was far away [from] being done because Tottenham were clear this is not going to happen. And when they say this two, three, four times, it’s over.”
The City boss also conceded that the saga was disrupting, more so not knowing whether his side would have a focal point or talismanic striker heading into the new season.
“Now you can say: ‘Harry Kane didn’t come and everything is going well,’” he said. “But at the time I didn’t know it. We lost to Spurs [in the season opener] and Leicester in the Community Shield,” he added earlier this week.
“And I don’t know what will happen in the next few weeks. The club gave me players and I’m always delighted – and it’s then what we can do together. Maybe if we had a proper striker we would play with a striker but with the players we have we have to adapt.
“I know they [the club] do the best for me. When we lose we are sad but nobody is pointing fingers saying: ‘Your fault, your fault, your fault.’ We don’t do that. That’s why I’m happy here. At other clubs when you lose it’s: ‘What’s the problem?’”
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