What’s the story?
Lionel Messi has reported phoned Pep Guardiola and asked him to return to Barcelona in the summer. The Sun report that the Argentine superstar is said to be extremely keen on working under Guardiola again and wants him at Camp Nou.
Luis Enrique's contract at Barcelona expires at the end, and his future at the club is in doubts. The Catalan giants have had a forgettable season so far, and with reports of him losing the faith of the players in the dressing room, it seems likely that he would leave in the summer.
In case you didn’t know...
Guardiola managed Barcelona for four seasons, from 2008 to 2012. He won the league title 3 times in a row, and because of tiredness, he took a sabbatical after his fourth season in-charge.
Barcelona are struggling this season in the league and also in the Champions League. They are currently 2nd in La Liga, a point behind Real Madrid but the Los Blancos have two games in hand and can go 7 points clear if they win the two games.
Meanwhile, in the Champions League, the Blaugrana's are on the verge of elimination after their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-German in the 1st leg. The Catalan side needs to overturn a four-goal deficit - something that's never happened in the history of the Champions League.
The heart of the matter
Messi and co have reportedly lost faith in their manager and have made it clear that they want a fresh face at the Camp Nou hot seat. Reports recently suggested that Messi wants Jorge Sampaoli to be their next manager but the Sevilla manager has refused to talk about the speculations.
With Sampaoli not ready to comment on a possible takeover at Barcelona, Messi has turned to his favourite former manager, Pep Guardiola. The Spaniard took over at Manchester City last summer, and he too is finding it difficult to adjust to the Premier League.
The Barcelona superstar believes Guardiola is the only one who can repair the damage done by Enrique in the dressing room. Ernesto Valverde, who been brilliant at Athletic Bilbao is said to be the board’s first choice.
What’s next?
Guardiola is expected to stay at Manchester City and not move to Barcelona any time soon. However, a change at Camp Nou is inevitable.
The board have said that the decision on Enrique's future at the club is in his hands. Reports suggest that Enrique will decide his future on March 9th - the day after Barcelona's home leg against Paris Saint-German.
Guardiola signed a 3 year deal with Manchester City and is expected to complete spell at Etihad. He's also expressed his interest at signing a new contract at the club already and is highly likely to snub a move to Barcelona and remain in England.
Sportskeeda’s Take
Guardiola will not return to Barcelona whatsoever. He is building a team for the future at Manchester City and will remain there for some time.
Barcelona meanwhile, will look to appoint Sampaoli in the summer and not anyone else.
