Lionel Messi to Man City: What Really Happened Between Leo and Guardiola? How a Move Was Very Close

Following a depressing Champions League loss at Lyon's hands in 2020, Pep Guardiola was looking forward a much-needed respite. He had no idea, though, that his holiday would be cut short by an unanticipated message that would alter the path of football history. A close buddy from Argentina National Team (at that time) of Lionel Messi and a great player at Manchester City Sergio Aguero messaged the City squad on WhatsApp: "Something major could be happening. Leo's asked me how long Pep has left on his contract. This benign comment set off a frenzy of conjecture about Lionel Messi's future and the likelihood of a reunion with Guardiola at Manchester City. At that time, Barcelona's downfall had started and they were struggling to perform on and were up with the poor management off the pitch. 

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The Unexpected Message

According to an exclusive report by the Daily Mail, Guardiola, who was on a flight returning to Manchester, was unaware of the message for many hours. Upon arrival, he read Aguero's SMS and was immediately confused. The question concerning his contract's expiry may have meant various things. It may have been a plot by Barcelona to entice Aguero to Camp Nou, or Messi himself was thinking about moving to Manchester. Despite the uncertainty, Guardiola chose not to dwell on it and went forward with his plans for a holiday in Barcelona.

A Meeting in Barcelona

As luck would have it, Lionel Messi was also in a mess. Barcelona's embarrassing 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League had left him utterly despondent with the team's management. For Messi, that was the final blow, and he felt it was time to start running his future and think about a club outside Spain. Just one day after the Champions League fiasco, on August 17, 2020, Messi messaged Guardiola simply: "Hi Pep, how are you?" Still recovering from City's own Champions League departure, Guardiola was delighted to see his old protégé. The two got together at Guardiola's Barcelona residence the next day.

A Lengthy and Honest Conversation

This wasn't the first time Messi and Guardiola had gotten together to talk about next steps for the player. Four years before, Messi was facing a possible jail sentence for tax fraud, and Guardiola was there to help him. But this meeting in 2020 was not like the others. The two men had a deep and honest talk for more than six hours about Messi's future, his problems with Barcelona, and the chance of getting back together at Manchester City. Guardiola was shocked by how much Messi had grown up and changed. Messi was no longer the shy, quiet kid he once instructed at Barcelona. He was now a man who knew exactly what he wanted. He was ready to leave Barcelona and really wanted to play for Manchester City.

The Roadblocks and Final Decision

Despite the euphoria around the possible shift, there were considerable challenges to overcome. Messi still had a year left on his Barcelona deal, which carried a whopping €700 million release clause. Furthermore, Messi's father and agent, Jorge, was in talks with the Barcelona management. Messi ultimately chose against pursuing legal action against the club he had called home for so many years. On September 3, 2020, word surfaced that Messi has agreed to stay at Barcelona for another year, putting an end to rumours over a reunion with Guardiola at Manchester City.

The narrative of Lionel Messi's prospective transfer to Manchester City demonstrates Messi and Guardiola's strong friendship. While the move did not materialise, it demonstrated the athlete and coach's mutual respect and appreciation. The "what if" possibilities will continue to pique football fans' interest for years to come, but for the time being, the reunion remains a tantalising prospect that was dangerously near to reality.

However, the reality was different as Lionel Messi left FC Barcelona for free in 2021 and decided to join PSG.  He did not have a great time personally, as he stayed there for 2 years. The only thing that was remarkable for Messi was winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in 2022. 

Last year he left PSG after 2 seasons and joined MLS’ Inter Miami, which is co-owned by David Beckham.  Messi won the Leagues Cup and is continuing his journey with his new club and with many old friends as Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets have joined him as it seems the near end of his career.