Guardiola reveals Messi wants Barca return

With Lionel Messi's future up in the air, Pep Guardiola gave an interview to ESPN in which he assured that the Argentine "will do the impossible to return to Barcelona".

The Manchester City coach pointed out that he is "a Barcelona fan, I've got my tickets [at Camp Nou]" and that he only hopes "that one day we can say goodbye to him as he deserves".

The Argentine, who finishes his contract this summer, has become the object of desire for Barcelona for the next market.

During the interview, Pep recalled that Messi, "has been the greatest player of all time. In the last 12 years or so, Barcelona had a 'boom' and that wouldn't have been possible without him. And I'm not talking about numbers, but rather his involvement in the play, his beauty, his efficiency, his efficiency, everything."

Messi's departure two summers ago came as a shock for the Blaugrana. "I never would have thought that it would end as it did," Guardiola added.

"I'm convinced what president [Joan] Laporta loves Leo, and since he left, he has said [Messi] deserves to have a farewell for the important figure that he is.

"Leo helped our club [Barcelona] become much greater than when he arrived. When a person is so big, you have to say goodbye in the right way. He left because of very difficult financial circumstances, for thousands of reasons that I'm not going to get into.

"I hope the day comes when I'm in my seat [at Camp Nou] and I can stand up and applaud, and say goodbye to Leo as he deserves.

"And I know that Joan [Laporta] is going to try, and Leo too, and he and his family will receive all the love that Barcelona fans have for him, with all the gratitude and respect for what he did for the club."