Superstar Lionel Messi is on the transfer market, but city coach Pep Guardiola insists that his club is not interested at the moment.
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has denied speculation that his club has a fundamental interest in Lionel Messi. Before the Supercup against Leicester City, he said at a press conference on Friday: “We don’t have that on our mind right now.”
Messi’s long-time club FC Barcelona announced on Thursday that he had not been able to agree on a new contract with the Argentine, so that the six-time world footballer would have to leave the club.
Guardiola: Messi farewell “a surprise for everyone”
On the same day, Man City presented the Premier League record transfer with Jack Grealish from Aston Villa: The midfielder comes for 100 million pounds, the equivalent of just under 118 million euros. “He will wear the ten with us, because we are convinced of Grealish,” said Guardiola. “We were also convinced that Leo would continue in Barcelona,” he added.
Guardiola reported that he was caught off guard from Barca and Messi split. “It looked like everything would go well and he would continue in Barcelona. That was a surprise for everyone – including me,” said the Spaniard, who claims to be “neither with the player nor with the President “entertained.
Guardiola took Messi’s departure from Barcelona as an opportunity to express his thanks to the Argentine once again: “Thank you for taking Barca to another level, for enabling Barcaelona to dominate the football world for a decade” said the city coach.
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