Man City confident that Pep Guardiola will not to return to Barcelona: Report

Man City are reportedly positive that Pep Guardiola will not join Barcelona once his contract runs out at the Etihad. The defending Premier League champions are hoping that Pep Guardiola will extend his current contract. According to reports, former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has asked Pep Guardiola to return to Spain if he wins the presidential election next year. The 57-year-old also added that Pep Guardiola is a "benchmark figure" for Barcelona and that many Catalans would like to see him managing the team again.

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Man City will try to halt Pep Guardiola Barcelona return

Joan Laporta said in an interview with Cadena Cope, “At the right time we will speak to the person who we think should be Barcelona coach from 2021.” Joan Laporta's claims of bringing Pep Guardiola back at Barcelona could help him to an extent during his presidential campaign. Pep Guardiola's Barcelona is widely considered one of the best teams ever assembled in modern football. Pep Guardiola went on to win 14 trophies with Barcelona between 2008-2012. 

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However, Pep Guardiola has strong relations with Man City's executives Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain. In one of his recent interviews, Pep Guardiola signalled that he was "open" to extend his contract with Man City if he can help the club reach greater heights. Pep Guardiola has won consecutive Premier League trophies with Man City, amassing a mammoth 198 points, but is yet to lift a Champions League trophy. However, with the exit of Liverpool, Man City are being labelled as favourites alongside PSG to win the Champions League this season. 

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Guardiola Barcelona return appears unlikely in the near future

Pep Guardiola as often stated at press conferences that he is open to extending his stay at Man City in order to take the club to new heights. Guardiola is reportedly impressed with the training facilities at the club and believes Man City could become a European powerhouse challenging for both Premier League and Champions League honours every season. However, according to The Athletic, Guardiola will look to return to Spain at some point in his career. 

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