Viana 'confident' and 'comfortable' working with Guardiola

Hugo Viana says he is "confident" and "comfortable" working alongside Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola since taking up the director of football role.

Following a handover period, Viana replaced Txiki Begiristain in July after the Spaniard's 13-year period at the club, which included 21 major trophies being delivered.

"Having the right recruitment and scouting department at the football club, and also nowadays it's really important to have a really good data department," Viani said in his first interview.

"First, we have to identify the positions that the team need to be better and during that process we have a lot of meetings with Pep and then with the scouting department.

"But nowadays, we can speak about talent, the right characteristics to any position we are looking for. But with the evolution of the game, the intensity of the game also, we need to have players with the right physicality and who are physically reliable. It's really important in the Premier League.

"I feel comfortable, I feel confident, and I think they [Ferran Soriano and Pep] are also - otherwise I would not be here."

City have signed six players for about £270m this summer, including the arrival of Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Viana added: "We have four great goalkeepers in James [Trafford], Donnarumma, Marcus [Bettinelli] and [Stefan] Ortega, which was important for the club and the dressing room.

"I don't see any team stronger than us on the goalkeeping position, so we are really happy with them. We have two young goalkeepers in Donnarumma, who is 26, and James, who is 22, which is important for the future of the club."