PEP GUARDIOLA would not want Manchester City to sign Lionel Messi because he has ‘never wanted to hurt Barcelona’.
The Argentine superstar’s contract comes to an end at the Nou Camp in the summer and he has been heavily linked with a move to both Man City and Paris Saint-Germain.
But Valenti Guardiola, dad of the Man City boss, does not believe his son would want Messi to leave the Catalan giants.
Speaking to journalist Emiliano Nunia, he said: “There’s no club in the world that wouldn’t want to have Messi.
“I saw him play at 12 or 13 years old and I was amazed.
“He was extraordinary at that level. There are very few players like Messi, and I’m sure that Pep wouldn’t dislike having him at City.
“Pep has always seen Messi as the best, but he’s at Barcelona. Josep has never wanted to hurt the club by taking the player.”
Valenti’s comments echo those from Pep when Messi declared he wanted to leave Barcelona towards the end of the 2019-20 campaign.
Guardiola said: “I am not going to speak until the end of the season about transfers. But my wish is Messi is going to stay at Barcelona.”
Despite constant speculation about his possible departure, it was reported last week that Barca are preparing to offer Messi a huge new ten-year deal.
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And Messi’s former teammate Luis Suarez has also implored the Argentine to stay with the Spanish titans.
The Atletico Madrid forward told TV3: “If Messi asked me as a friend, I would tell him I don’t see him anywhere other than Barca, it wouldn’t be good for him. He has to take the decision himself.
“The best would be for him to have a final three, four, five or six years at the place where he’s felt most happy.
“Barca is the team that have given him everything and he too has given everything for Barca.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
