Pep with Messi
Pep Guardiola has strongly denied that Manchester City was negotiating the world-record transfer of Lionel Messi from Barcelona.
Reports in Spanish paper El Mundo suggested City had agreed to depart with the £220million release clause in Messi’s contract.
It was also claimed the Premier League champions were committed to splurging the same amount on the Argentine’s wages on a five-year deal.
Guardiola moved to laugh off those suggestions and claimed he has never had a conversation with Messi about leaving the Nou Camp.
“I said many, any times that never have I asked Lionel Messi to join Bayern Munich or here. Never,” Guardiola said.
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“I know how important he is to Barcelona. I have never spoken (about it), never made the first step. I’ve said one thousand times about that.”
El Mundo also claimed that Messi’s father, Jorge, would have been due more than £40m if he brokered the deal.
They reported that alleged discussions reached their peak in October 2017 amid political uncertainty in Catalonia.
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