Joan Laporta 'keen to lure Pep Guardiola back to Barcelona'

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 21 September 2021

Laporta 'keen to lure Guardiola back to Barcelona'

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is reportedly hoping to convince Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola to return to Camp Nou, nearly 10 years after leaving the club.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is reportedly hoping to convince Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola to return to Camp Nou.

The Catalan club's current head coach Ronald Koeman is under immense pressure, following an unconvincing start to the new campaign, with several board members having asked for the 58-year-old to be sacked.

Guardiola, meanwhile, has previously indicated that he may look to leave City when his contract expires in 2023, and has also spoken about his aspirations to manage an international team in the future.

However, according to El Nacional, Laporta is doing "everything in his power" to persuade Guardiola to return to the Barcelona dugout.

Although Guardiola believes his time as Barca's head coach is 'part of the past', the report also states that Laporta is so desperate to see the Spaniard return to the club in some capacity, that he may even offer the 50-year-old the role as a sporting director, working alongside director of football Mateu Alemany.

Guardiola enjoyed a successful spell at the helm between 2008 and 2012, winning three La Liga titles and lifted two Champions League trophies during this period.

Since leaving Barcelona, the Spaniard has won a total of 17 trophies during his times with Bayern Munich and Man City, including three Bundesliga titles and three Premier League crowns.