Argentina superstar Lionel Messi almost reunited with his former FC Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola at Manchester City... Here's how it all unfolded!
Messi and Guardiola share massive mutual respect for one another, with the two individuals not shying away from lavishing each other with praise in public over the years.
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The pair enjoyed a hugely successful time together at Barcelona between 2008 and 2012, with Messi registering 211 goals and 94 assists in 219 matches in that period.
The duo separated when Guardiola left the Camp Nou in June 2012, before he joined Bayern Munich in July 2013, and the coach's stint in Germany was followed up by a move to City in 2016.
Messi, meanwhile, went on to make 778 appearances overall for the Catalan giants, before he shockingly left the club in August 2021 after it was confirmed they could not afford to give him a new contract.
Now, though, per author Martin Perarnau's upcoming book, The Pep Revolution: Inside Manchester City, ii is claimed that Messi was close to signing for City the year prior to his emotional exit from Barca.
According to the Daily Mail, who cited excerpts from the book, the Spanish tactician and the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner got in contact with each other after Sergio Aguero, a close friend of Messi's, sent a message on WhatsApp to the City squad that read: "Something big might be happening. Leo's just asked me how long Pep has left on his contract."
An excerpt of the conversation that would later take place between Guardiola and the Argentina legend reads as follows:
Guardiola asks Messi: "You do know it rains a lot in Manchester?"
The chat continues between the pair as the 53-year-old is seemingly keen to discover whether their reunion would be a success.
Guardiola said: "We train hard in Manchester."
Messi replied: "Doesn't bother me. I'm ready for hard work."
Pep Guardiola added: "And I still give long tactical talks. Maybe you'll get bored."
Messi said: "I'll cope, I can cope with anything you throw at me."
Guardiola questioned Messi, saying: "Leo, we're both much older than we were. Maybe we won't get on now."
The Barcelona legend replied: "Pep, I just want the chance to do great things, to feel like I'm ready to smash it again."
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Ultimately, the move never materialised and Messi went on to join Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal in 2021, before later moving to his current side, Inter Miami.