Reports: Pep Guardiola contacts Barcelona superstar seeking reunion at Manchester City

What’s the story?

Manchester City are undergoing a squad overhaul under manager Pep Guardiola, who struggled in his first season at the helm of the club. The Etihad outfit have already shelled out in excess of £75 million for the transfer of Bernardo Silva and Ederson, while also having released 5 first-team players namely – Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Jesus Navas, Gael Clichy and Willy Caballero.The Citizens have been linked with moves for a few full-backs as they are a little bit light in that department, however, according to Italian newspaper Calciomercato, defenders are not all that Guardiola is targeting. According to the report, the Spanish manager has established contact with former pupil and Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta to persuade him to join him in Manchester.

In case you didn’t know… 

Iniesta and Guardiola share a very close bonding since their time together at Barcelona, when the Camp Nou outfit won 3 league titles and 2 UEFA Champions League trophies during his 4-year spell.

The 33-year-old has established himself as one of the best midfielders to have ever graced the game. However, Iniesta’s last season with the Catalan giants was marred with injuries, which kept him out of action for a considerable time. His powers are also on the wane, given his age, but still, he is arguably Barcelona’s most indispensable players.

The heart of the matter

Iniesta is one of the greats of the game and it is no surprise that his former manager is seeking a reunion. The 33-year-old will be a great addition to the Etihad outfit and despite his age, he still has at least 3-4 years of top level football left in him.The Spaniard is at loggerheads with Barcelona over a new deal and has so far refused to extend his contract – which has only one year left on it – with the Camp Nou outfit. A host of European giants are also said to be monitoring his situation.