Wright can see Pep and Messi at City

By ESPNSTAR.com staff

In his column for British tabloid The Sun, Wright said that every top manager in the world is now "looking over his shoulder" after the former Barcelona coach revealed he will return to football in the summer following a season-long sabbatical.

"The only major side who would ignore the former Barcelona coach is Real Madrid - and I don't have to explain why," Wright said.

"Yet I can see exactly why he would lean towards Manchester City. As for him joining Arsenal, forget it.

"Guardiola has been linked with Manchester United, Chelsea and City - but not Arsenal.

"The only people talking about Guardiola ending up at the Emirates are Arsenal fans but there is no chance of this happening. It is something that, one day, I would love to see - but it is fanciful.

"Even if Arsene Wenger announced this morning that he was walking away at the end of the season - and I still think he will be around for a while - Guardiola would not want to join a club with limited spending."

He added in The Sun: "Guardiola will be looking higher up than Arsenal."

"The Spaniard knows he would not be able to attract top, top players there - even though the club would suit him in other ways in terms of history and style of play. But I am certain it will be in England where he ends up.

"I am not sure any top manager would go to Chelsea when you look at the way they treated both Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Di Matteo.

"Guardiola could be the perfect fit at United but it seems Alex Ferguson is going nowhere - and little wonder when you consider he looks set to win the title again.

"So City seems the obvious - and likely - destination."

Wright also wrote that it would be "ludicrous" for City to sack Mancini after all the Italian has achieved for the club but that the temptation of having Guardiola at the helm and him potentially luring Barca star Messi to the team might prove to be too much to resist.

"Guardiola would have something that other bosses do not possess - that little black book with the names of some remarkable, magical players," Wright said.

"City's owners will hardly need telling that by luring Guardiola, they would stand a chance of bringing in Lionel Messi.

"I know he has signed a new contract at Barcelona but if one man would be able to persuade Messi to star in the Premier League, it would be Guardiola.

"Not many clubs could afford to sign Messi but City would be one of them.

"And that could take City to a totally new level.

"I can see most of the current Barcelona team staying at the Nou Camp but Messi is still young enough to one day want a new challenge."

Guardiola steered Barcelona to 14 trophies in four seasons.