In Marti Perarnau’s biography God Save Pep, it is revealed that Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, played a pivotal role in preventing Lionel Messi from joining the club.
According to the book, Messi, who was eager to reunite with his former coach, reached out to Guardiola in 2020 to explore the possibility of a transfer to Manchester City.
During a meeting at his home in Barcelona, Guardiola reportedly advised Messi that a move to Manchester City could be too demanding for him, given that he was 33 years old at the time.
Despite Messi’s enthusiasm and disagreement with this assessment, Manchester City ultimately did not pursue the transfer. Instead, Messi made a high-profile move to Paris Saint-Germain, which was completed later that year.
As of now, Messi is playing for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS), marking a new chapter in his storied career.