The new Lionel Messi that Pep Guardiola wants in Manchester City

Pep Guardiola has always been known for enjoying almost endless wallets every time he arrived at a new club. Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now Manchester City are always used to be able to afford big transfers. Now, the Spanish coach has a new dream: it’s the new Lionel Messi. And he could arrive for a reasonably low price.

Now he is chasing a player who has been stellar in his club and is seriously considered as the next Lionel Messi. In case Guardiola cannot sign the real one on a free transfer for next season, then his successor could prove to be a good deal. And considering his potential, a release clause of €25 million ($30.25 million) would not be something impossible to afford.

The name Guardiola dreams with is Thiago Almada. He is one of the young stars of Argentina’s Liga Profesional, playing for Buenos Aires side Vélez Sarsfield. Born in 2001, he has already had some international experience playing the Under 20 South American Championship in 2019, alongside new Atlanta United signing Santiago Sosa, and Striped ace Ezequiel Barco. He was left out of the respective World Cup in Poland by coach Fernando Batista after his club didn’t release him on time for the preliminary tour.

Almada was pretended by local giants Boca Juniors when his release clause was $15 million, before the last contract extension the young wonderkid signed with the club, which lifted the Intercontinental Cup in 1994 against AC Milan, as one of soccer’s biggest underdog shocks in the last times. The player was also wanted by Atlético de Madrid.