Rumours. Rumours. Rumours. Recent suggestions that Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi could be making a move to Manchester City in the Premier League have been played down by Pep Guardiola, the Argentina star’s former manager at the Camp Nou.
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Guardiola, who coached Messi at Barcelona between 2008 and 2012 while winning three La Liga and two Champions Leagues titles, believes the six-time Ballon d’Or man will end his playing days at Barcelona. It is a well-known fact that Messi has spent his career with the Spanish giants, however, a clause in the Argentine’s contract allows him to leave for free during this summer.
Guardiola left Barca for Bayern Munich in Germany, claiming all of 14 trophies in Spain at the end of his tenure. In the process, he became the most successful manager in the club’s history after just four seasons. Commenting on a possible Messi move, Guardiola expressly said: “He will stay there, that’s my wish.”
The Argentine tactician’sMessi’s future at the Nou Camp looks uncertain following a row with sporting director Eric Abidal. The pairs’ fall-out comes after the latter suggested that members of the squad were responsible for Ernesto Valverde losing his job as manager last month, much to the fury of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is under contract at the Blaugrana until 2021.