On Wednesday evening, in the sweltering heat of the Los Angeles Coliseum, Pep Guardiola sent two warnings to the rest of Europe, one on the pitch and the other off.
Guardiola's Manchester City purred as it continued its preseason tour of the United States, easing past La Liga and Champions League holder Real Madrid 4-1. A goalless first half was followed by a blitz from City, with three goals in 14 minutes, from Nicolas Otamendi, Raheem Sterling and John Stones.
Brahim Díaz, the 17-year-old Spaniard, added a fourth in the 82nd minute after replacing Gabriel Jesus, meaning Óscar Rodriguez's stoppage time goal was a mere consolation. But this is, of course, still preseason; results remain almost worthless.
So when Guardiola stepped into his post-match press conference, his words may have been even more powerful than his team's performance. The Spanish coach explained that City was not only capable of matching Real on the pitch but also in the transfer market.
"Madrid doesn't have more than Manchester City have," he said, according to the Daily Mail. "Players are very important and we always try to get the best players possible.
Related: Is This How Pep Guardiola New-Look Manchester City Will Line Up Next Season?
"Abu Dhabi came in and invested in the team. Over the past five or six years we climbed to the top and we're now in the top three or four. In order to get to the level of Madrid or Barcelona we just need time.
"The Premier League is so attractive and the agreements are good. All the clubs think about their potential and their squads getting better. We try and we will see."
Both City and Real are reportedly trying and seeing whether they can convince A.S. Monaco to part with its 18-year-old starlet Kylian Mbappe, the most sought after player in European football. But it will cost them.
Real is renowned for its financial might. Four of the past five world-record transfer deals have been made by the Spanish club. On Tuesday, Real was reportedly looking to extend that statistic after Spanish newspaper Marca said Real had bid £161 million for Mbappe.
Less than 24 hours later, reports suggested Manchester City had matched the offer. Guardiola, who went shoulder-to-shoulder with Real while managing Barcelona, is apparently keen to do the same from Manchester.
Related: How Was Manchester City Able to Spend $110 Million Before the Transfer Window Opened?
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