Pablo Zabaleta believes Manchester City will be the perfect choice for Lionel Messi if the Argentine star leaves Barcelona.
In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mirror Sport, Zabaleta admits that he is shocked at how Messi’s relationship with the club he has graced for 17 years has deteriorated to the point that he will step aside when his contract expires at the end of this season. .
Zabaleta, who has been a close friend of Messi since they played together for Argentina in the youth teams, estimates that the Catalan giant will make one last move to convince the six-time Golden Ball winner to stay after the club’s next presidential election.
But the 36-year-old former City defender who has lived in Barcelona since hanging his boots last summer, believes coach Pep Guardiola can offer Messi the new challenge he is looking for.
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Zabaleta said: “If Lionel Messi decides to leave Barcelona and wants to play in the best league, then he will have to experience the Premier League for himself. It’s something that will interest you – because all the players I know always ask me what the Premier League is like.
“Leo has been in La Liga for so many years and I think it would be a great attraction for him to try out English football.
“And Manchester City offers the perfect conditions.
“He knows Pep very well, he knows [sporting director] Txiki Begiristain e [chief executive] Ferran Soriano – and also Kun Aguero. It would be a big decision if Leo left Barcelona. But if that’s what he wants, it would be a good thing for him to go to a club that already has people who can help him establish himself.
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“When you’ve been in a club for so long, moving to a new place can be very strange.
“I’m sure that clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus would also be interested in signing him, but I think City would be the best place to go after Barcelona.”
Zabaleta became a cult hero in Manchester City, winning two league titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup twice, in nine years after arriving from Espanyol just days before the acquisition of Sheikh Mansour in 2008.
But despite his loyalty to Etihad, he would be sad to see the man he still considers the best player in the world to leave Barcelona.
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Zabaleta added: “I never thought that we would see a situation where Leo didn’t want to be a Barcelona player.
“I find it ridiculous that Barcelona make so many mistakes that they feel unhappy about being part of that club. I would like to see Messi finish his career at Barça – and even Pep said he hopes it will continue.
“But there is a situation at the club that now makes things very difficult for him.
“It will be interesting to see what happens with the presidential election.
“Perhaps the new president will convince Leo to stay because I know that his family is really based in Barcelona. But if he decides to leave, I’d love to see him at City. “
However, Zabaleta believes it would be useless to help his former club launch a charm offensive.
He added: “A few years ago, Argentina faced Portugal in a friendly at Old Trafford. It was November and it rained – so Leo knows how the weather is
It is like. I can’t lie to him about it.
“But Manchester is a big city. I loved my time living there and the people are fantastic.
“It would be great to see Messi wearing the blue Manchester City shirt. He is still the best player in the world.
“Although I am a friend of his, I don’t know what he will do. We will see.”
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