Manchester City’s appointment of Pep Guardiola was always going to give them serious pulling power in the transfer market.
As the Sky Blues prepare to welcome his old side Barcelona to the Etihad – hoping to improve on the 4-0 defeat they suffered at the hands of the Catalans a fortnight ago – plenty of familiar faces will be keen to have a reunion with the manager.
And it appears Ivan Rakitic, in particular, could be looking forward to a more permanent reunion with him – after confirming he would love to play under him again one day.
Guardiola was responsible for taking the Croatian to the Nou Camp, and the former Sevilla midfielder has since gone on to become one of the most respected in Europe.
Having won eight trophies in two years at Barca, it’s difficult to see why he would want to give all that up, but all the same, City fans will no doubt be excited by his latest comments.
“When I took the No.4 jersey it was purely because of him,” he said, via the Mirror.
“It was a great opportunity. I took it with both hands.
“He was one of the best in the world. Your team-mates tell you all about him.
“I hope he is really successful in the future after tomorrow. It would be great to play for him one day and if not, I’ll invite him for a coffee.”
It doesn’t sound like Rakitic is making any promises, but were he to become available in the future, City will sense their opportunity there to tempt him away from La Liga.
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