Pep Guardiola has unique rule with transfers that he has stuck to at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Man City

Pep Guardiola has a unique rule when it comes to transfers and it applies to all the clubs he has managed.

The Catalan has won an incredible 34 honours across spells at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, with many deeming him to be the greatest manager in football history.

Guardiola has helped change the face of football with his style and his own way of doing things.

And for all the available the facts and information on Guardiola, perhaps a lesser known detail about him involves his deals in the transfer market.

Typically managers have their favourites players who they then bring with them to new clubs.

Harry Redknapp did it with the likes of Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe and Niko Kranjcar, while Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, have signed the likes of Nemanja Matic and James Rodriguez on three separate occasions, respectively.

Image: Getty

Yet interestingly Guardiola has never signed a player more than once. He's managed players at multiple clubs, including the likes of Nolito and Thiago Alcantara - while he's signed a player he previously inherited.

But Guardiola, who has made 94 signings in his career according to Transfer Markt, is the master of adapting and loves freshening things.

Incredibly, Guardiola even passed on the chance to reunite with the best player he's ever managed, Lionel Messi.

Image: Getty

A new book "God Save Pep" written by Marti Perarnau, a journalist with access to the City boss, claims that the two had a meeting at Messi's house back in Barcelona.

Messi had reportedly quizzed long-time friend Sergio Aguero on how long Guardiola would be at City for.

In the chat, Guardiola is believed to have told Messi: "In Manchester we train very hard and I make long tactical talks. Maybe you’ll get bored."

An unworried Messi said he would train hard, yet Guardiola proceeded to issue a brutal response, stating: Leo, we have grown older. Maybe we can’t stand each other anymore."

Messi had a year on his Barcelona contract at the time and ended up signing for Paris Saint-Germain.

Topics: Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Premier League, Barcelona

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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