• Pep Guardiola will quit if Manchester City does not reduce squad size.
• He finds it troubling to leave players in the stands when fit.
• Currently, City has 28 first-team players, with injuries affecting selection.
• Guardiola has emphasized the importance of squad connectivity.
• He extended his contract with City until 2027, aiming for better team dynamics.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated he will resign if the club maintains a large squad for the next season. He expressed concern over having to leave multiple players, like Savinho, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Claudio Echeverri, in the stands during matches, which he described as troubling for his "soul." Following City’s 3-1 victory over Bournemouth, he made clear that a smaller squad is essential for fostering better connections among players, saying, "I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer," according to BBC, Channel News Asia, and Reuters.

Guardiola currently oversees a squad of 28 players, not including four on loan, which is valued among the highest globally, potentially exceeding 1.3 billion euros ($1.47 billion). The club has recently faced significant challenges, particularly an injury crisis that saw them perform poorly during a stretch of five consecutive losses in late 2022. To combat this, City invested over $224 million in the January transfer window, adding several players, including Khusanov. Yet, despite having a deep roster, Guardiola stresses that too many options are not beneficial for team spirit, reiterating, "I don’t want to have 24, 25, 26 players when everyone is fit," according to BBC, Channel News Asia, and Reuters.

Despite recent struggles, City has only two players currently sidelined due to injuries. Guardiola believes the team's current roster dynamics hinder player engagement, emphasizing that accumulating a larger squad can detract from creating meaningful connections among team members. This stance comes as he prepares to lead City in defending their Club World Cup title next month. Guardiola's vision for a more tightly-knit team is shared through his statements to the club's management, stating once more, "I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay," as reported by BBC, Channel News Asia, and Reuters.