LOS ANGELES — Pep Guardiola has confirmed Manchester City is “still looking” to add to its £200 million summer spending spree, although he refused to comment on the possibility of hijacking Real Madrid’s move for Kylian Mbappe.

City has been the major shoppers in the transfer market after splashing out a Premier League record total of £200m (223 million euros, $260 million) to bring Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, Ederson, Danilo and Douglas Luiz to the Etihad.

But it remains likely that it will continue its haul after being strongly linked with moves for Arsenal frontman Alexis Sanchez and Monaco teenage striker Mbappe.

Mbappe has been on City’s radar throughout the summer, although there have been strong suggestions in Spain that Real has agreed a fee of £160 million ($210 million, 180 million euros) for the 18-year-old.

Ahead of Wednesday’s International Champions Cup encounter against Real Madrid, in Los Angeles, Guardiola wasn’t being drawn on either.

“They are Monaco and Arsenal players, so nothing to say,” he said.

But he did confirm that City was still looking at options in the market, albeit he was coy on whether another striker was on the agenda.

“We have the two exceptional forwards in Gabriel (Jesus) and Sergio (Aguero),” he said. “We will see.

“The market finishes on August 31, which is not good for the managers.

“The competition (Premier League) starts on the 12th (of August) and the market is still open. That is not good for all the clubs.

“We will see until the end of the transfer window.”

Mendy became City’s latest signing earlier this week when the left-back arrived from Monaco in a £52 million ($67 million, 58 million euros) deal.

The 23-year-old is still around a fortnight from featuring in a City shirt due to injury, but Guardiola is delighted to have brought in a defender who made such an impression during Monaco’s Champions League campaign last season.

“He can attack inside and outside,” Guardiola said. “He’s a young player so sometimes you have to pay a bit more for them.

“But we have one guy for the next five or six years.”

Bringing in younger players at the back was clearly on Guardiola’s mind this summer after jettisoning the 30-something quartet of Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna and Aleksandar Kolarov to bring in fellow full-backs Mendy, Danilo and Kyle Walker.

City spent £130 million ($169 million, 145 million euros) on that trio alone, yet Guardiola believes they will offer long-term value for money.

Bayern won’t join transfer

bidding war ‘madness’ — Hoeness

Bayern Munich will not enter into a bidding war for star footballers, the German champions’ boss Uli Hoeness said, describing skyrocketing transfer prices as “madness”.

“I don’t want to buy a player for 150 or 200 million euros, I don’t want to join in such madness. That’s something that we will refuse totally at Bayern,” Hoeness said in Singapore, where the club is on tour for exhibition matches.

The five-time Champions League winner is even willing to lower its ambitions.

Hoeness said the club “could not set as a goal” a victory at the Champions League as long as “such madness is gripping the transfer market”.

According to media reports, Paris Saint-Germain is seeking to poach Brazilian striker Neymar from FC Barcelona for 222 million euros ($256 million). Real Madrid reportedly has a deal in principle to buy French attacker Kylian Mbappe from Monaco for 180 million euros.

The record transfer fees have been bankrolled by sky-high television rights, and a growing appetite in emerging leagues including China which is seeking to lure stars away with spectacular sums.

In comparison, Bayern has been conservative in the transfer market.

Among newcomers are James Rodriguez, who has arrived on loan with a buy option.

The club has also recruited 22-year-old French midfielder Corentin Tolisso for 47.5 million euros, bonus included.

Hoeness sounded a warning against a backlash if the inflationary trend continued in the transfer market.

“I wonder if spectators will accept this in the long-term and managers too should ask if all this is reasonable,” noted the Bayern boss.

Hoeness added that the club would unveil the name of its new sport director “in coming weeks” to fill the post left vacant after Mathias Sammer departed a year ago.

German media report that former Dutch international Mark van Bommel and ex-star attacker for Germany, Miroslav Klose, are likely candidates. — Agencies