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Pep Guardiola is considered by many football followers to be the best in the modern era and to be considered at such a prestigious position in itself is an honor. The Spanish manager has managed some of the biggest clubs in the world and has produced superstars under him in a consistent manner.
Guardiola rose to fame as the manager of Barcelona, where his tiki-taka brand of football was revolutionary during its time. It was simple yet effective and was a joy to watch.
He then moved to Germany with Bavarian giants Bayern Munich which was another successful period. Pep Guardiola is now the manager at Manchester City and has made the club an extremely dominant force in Europe.
Pep Guardiola made several bargain signings in his coaching career
There will always be criticism of any successful person and it's no different for Pep Guardiola. He has sometimes been accused of being a 'chequebook manager', who relies on the wealth of his club.
The nature of modern football is such that the biggest football clubs will be spending money. However, it is unfair to accuse Pep Guardiola of being a heavy spender only when the Spaniard has made some brilliant signings at very low prices as well.
On that note, let's take a look at five of his best bargain signings:
#5 Alexis Sanchez
A young Chilean was making all the right moves in Italian Serie A and it grabbed Pep Guardiola's attention. He had just won the Champions League and was looking to build a team for the future. In the market for a skilled attacker, Pep Guardiola found his perfect candidate in the form of Alexis Sanchez.
The £23.4 million that Pep Guardiola paid for Alexis may have seemed quite a lot in 2011, but he had incredible potential and lived up to it at the Camp Nou.
In the three seasons he spent at Barcelona, despite minor injuries, Alexis was a reliable option. The Chilean scored 46 goals and registered 37 assists while playing from wide positions, winning La Liga in 2012-13.
To become a starter, Alexis moved to Arsenal and Barcelona managed to make a decent little profit from the switch. As such, he remains one of Pep Guardiola's best bargain signings.
#4 Xabi Alonso
If Alexis was Pep Guardiola's vision of a talented youngster, Xabi Alonso is the example of shrewd business. Alonso has had a glittering career at Liverpool and Real Madrid.
But eyebrows were raised when Pep Guardiola decided to spend around £8 million on a footballer on the wrong side of 30. But Oh! how the world was wrong and Pep was right.
Alonso showcased his ability, technical senses and match awareness in the three seasons he spent at Bayern. He may have aged and the pace may have gone down (Alonso was never a sprinter). But his vision, astute passes and dead ball specialization stayed as they were.
Alonso finally retired after his Bayern Munich spell but he didn't just make up the numbers. He was an important unit of Pep Guardiola's team and won the league title every time over the three seasons he spent in Germany.
#3 Oleksandr Zinchenko
Pep Guardiola's ability to identify talent is not restricted to the big leagues as he unearthed Oleksandr Zinchenko from Russian football. Zinchenko was playing Ufa in the Russian Premier League when Manchester City tapped him up on the instructions of Pep Guardiola for just £1.8 million. It surprised a few, but he was seen as an upcoming prodigy in Russian football.
Zinchenko has been a solid backup and bench option on whom Pep Guardiola has relied several times. The Ukrainian has featured in several key games for Manchester City as the club have an Achilles heel in the left-back position.
He was the starting left-back in the Champions League final in 2021, but Manchester City narrowly lost the final to Chelsea. He has also won numerous trophies with his club and has played significant roles throughout those campaigns.
Zinchenko may not be a world-beater, but Pep Guardiola made an incredible bargain to acquire a Premier League quality defender for a paltry fee. With Joao Cancelo as the starter, Zinchenko is unlikely to enjoy regular involvement at Manchester City.
#2 Joshua Kimmich
When RB Leipzig rose in stature in Germany, a teenager was putting in stellar performances for them. Pep Guardiola was the first to accurately identify the high ceiling that the player possessed.
The Spaniard made a move for Kimmich and acquired him for £7 million. When Kimmich's service to Germany and Bayern Munich is considerd today, one can understand how much foresight Guardiola possesses.
Kimmich is a highly skilled and versatile footballer who can play as a traditional right-back, a right wing-back and a central defensive midfielder equally well. The German footballer made the shift seamlessly and has established himself as a wonderful defensive midfielder.
Over the years, Kimmich has won major honors for Bayern Munich under Pep Guardiola and his successors. Club honors range from league titles to the coveted Champions League as well. He has also won the confederations Cup with Germany, for whom Kimmich will love to win the World Cup in Qatar next year.
#1 Gerard Pique
The Manchester United side under Sir Alex Fergusson had several talented defenders among their ranks. As a result, a young Spaniard failed to break into the first team.
Demoralized and in search of minutes, Gerard Pique was offered a way out of Old Trafford by Pep Guardiola. The then Barcelona coach decided to bring the La Masia graduate back to Camp Nou for a mere £4.5 million in 2008.
It was Manchester United's loss, and Barcelona's gain as Gerard Pique soon became one of the best centre-backs in the world.
Pique took to La Liga as the fish took to the water. He looked extremely comfortable on the ball, and proved to be a solid, clean tackler with a commanding personality.
Pique formed a stellar partnership with Carles Puyol and was an integral part of an all-conquering Barcelona side managed by Pep Guardiola himself.
Of late, age has caught up with the great centre-back. However, Pique has been a loyal servant to Barcelona for years. He has won almost every trophy there is to win for club and country in his career.
