Guardiola speaks out over Man City move for Barcelona favourite

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said that he has no intentions of signing Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, according to The Daily Star.

Speculation has intensified after Barca boss Luis Enrique refused to rule out the idea of the Argentine captain moving to the Etihad Stadium, responding to a question with ‘I don’t know – I have no idea’ on Wednesday.

Add this to the fact that the 471-goal man has yet to agree a new deal at the Nou Camp, with his current one set to run out at the end of next season, and there seems to be a fair bit of uncertainty surrounding the future of the five-times Ballon d’Or winner.

Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

However, Guardiola, whose Barcelona team comprising of Messi won three La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns in his four-year spell in charge, has categorically ruled out any chance of the 29-year-old leaving the Spanish giants.

He said: ‘I told you more than once that Messi will stay at Barcelona and will finish his career at Barcelona.

‘It’s my wish.

‘I wish that he goes from the beginning to the end at Barcelona.’

Ever since Guardiola was announced as Manuel Pellegrini’s successor at the Etihad earlier in the year, there have been questions asked about whether the Messi would team up with his former boss in Manchester.

The Argentine international scored 211 goals in Guardiola’s four seasons in charge, and has since netted a further 218 times for Barcelona, including 18 in 15 games already this season.

One of the greatest players of all time, if not the greatest, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be in the Premier League any time soon.