According to the biography “God Save Pep” by Marti Perarnau, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola prevented Lionel Messi from transferring to the club from Barcelona. It is claimed that Messi reached out to his former coach in 2020 to discuss a potential reunion at the Etihad Stadium.
During a meeting at his home in Barcelona, Guardiola suggested that playing for Manchester City might be too challenging for Messi, who was 33 at the time.
However, Messi disagreed with this assessment. Despite their conversation, Manchester City ultimately allowed Paris Saint-Germain to complete a dramatic move to bring Messi to France.
The Argentine now plays club football for Inter Miami in the MLS.