Guardiola has restated his admiration for Lionel Messi, as speculation concerning a potential reunion at Etihad Stadium continues to mount.
Lionel Messi did not feature in Barcelona’s last game of the season and is yet to confirm whether he will stay or go this summer.
The Barcelona star has long been tipped as a potential signing for Guardiola, who knows the Argentine well from their time together at Camp Nou.
Messi is still yet to confirm his future at Barca, although the club retains hope he will not leave this summer.
“He’s very strong, the strongest. Beyond his quality, it’s his mentality, his head,” Guardiola said of Messi in a Twitch interview alongside former Italy stars Christian Vieri, Antonio Cassano and Daniele Adani.
“In four years at Barcelona, we played a lot of games in training and he didn’t lose even one. If he had lost, he would’ve left. He has that competitive mentality that only four or five players in history have, they have something different.
“We all knew that Messi was the best, but then there were six or seven others who were strong and others who didn’t play because the others were so strong.”
While Messi’s desire to leave Camp Nou last summer was denied, he has made few sounds about what he will do from June onwards.
In a recent interview with Argentine newspaper Ole he praised the young Barca squad and dubbed the Copa del Rey victory this season a “turning point”, while stating his intention to win more titles – although he did not specify where.
Should he decide to leave, City appears a natural alternative for the 33-year-old, due to his relationship with Guardiola and the club’s capacity to meet his astronomic wages.
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about FC Barcelona
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
