Man City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed why he turned down the chance of signing £166m PSG star Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco on an initial loan deal, ahead of what will be the second highest transfer in football history next summer.
Man City had been strongly linked with a move for the exciting 19-year old forward, but Guardiola has revealed his doubts over whether Mbappe can go on to match the brilliance of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Guardiola said, ““Nobody can sit at the same table as Messi.”
“Maybe Mbappe, he’s a top player, he will be an outstanding player, I’m pretty sure of that.”
“But to equal what Messi has done in 10 or 12 years, or Cristiano (Ronaldo), for example, we have to wait.”
“I appreciate Mbappe wouldn’t like me to put more pressure on his shoulders.”
“I think Messi has the numbers of 60-70 games every season, in the big games, always being there to score and assist, never injured, always plays every three days, never injured because he controls his body.”
“That’s why I don’t think we help with hypothetical suitors for him, saying you are going to be the new guy.
“So let Mbappe have the fantastic career he will have and after we’ll see in the future.”
Guardiola is hoping his Man Ciy side can maintain their impressive start to the season with a win against Watford today.
“In this situation, the teams I left at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and the other big teams, like Madrid, and Juventus of Turin, in this kind of situation, a game every three days, they are there, they make a professional performance, score a goal in the right moment and win the game.”
“That is the process we have to discover. When we are able to do that, then I will feel we have made a step forward to become a better team.”