Pep Guardiola denies trying to sign Lionel Messi

Pep Guardiola has insisted that he has not tried to sign Lionel Messi for Manchester City but said that if the Argentinian ever decides to leave the Camp Nou, he will be among those waiting in the queue for him.
“I did not call Messi because what I want is for him to play for Barcelona for many years,” Guardiola said, reacting to local media reports here. “I hope he ends his career here. But maybe one day the lad will decide that he wants to play somewhere else. Maybe he will want his kids to learn English, I don’t know. And if that happens, which I hope it won’t, then there will be a list of four, five or six clubs who will want to sign him.”
Guardiola’s comments came in response to what he sees as a campaign against him and broke the tone on a day that was otherwise about mutual appreciation and fondness. There was bitterness and hurt here.
The Catalan sports newspaper El Mundo Deportivo, which is close to the club’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has long positioned itself against Guardiola, as part of a divide that goes back to the Johan Cruyff era. It accused the former manager of trying to encourage players to leave the club. A month ago, its front page ran with the headline “Not like this Pep” alongside a picture of Messi and Neymar.
But asked if he had called any Barcelona players this summer, Guardiola said: “No, I didn’t call any Barcelona players this summer.” He continued: “I know that there are some battles that are lost before they start at this club. I have known that for years. I know this place well, but it would be good if people checked the [different] versions [of the story].”