Pep Guardiola wanted me to be his new Lionel Messi - I rejected Liverpool to join Man City

Pep Guardiola convinced Leroy Sane to snub Liverpool in favour of Manchester City, where he pushed the German winger to be “like Lionel Messi”.

Sane was one of European football’s hottest prospects thanks to his standout displays for Schalke as a teenager. He was able to secure a move to City in 2016 for £37million, making the winger one of Guardiola’s first signings ahead of his first season in charge in England.

Now plying his trade with Bayern Munich, the German managed to establish himself as one of the most electrifying forwards in the Premier League, playing an important role in City's historic 'Centurions' title-winning squad in 2017/18.

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But Sane admitted in 2018 that his career could have easily taken a different turn had he decided to join another exciting project with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Sane even held discussions over the phone with Klopp but opted to work under Guardiola instead.

Discussing the potential move to Anfield, Sane told The Guardian: "Yes, I was also talking with them. Jurgen was calling me too, talking to me. That was before I joined City.

"He did a good job at [Borussia] Dortmund – I met him when he was there. He's a good guy, nice guy – honest. He [has] worked well with Liverpool."

Klopp's loss was Guardiola's gain as Liverpool later became City's fierce rivals, all while Sane adapted to the Premier League, punishing defences with his blistering speed and expert dribbling. And it was Sane's strike against Liverpool in January 2019 that separated the sides at the end of the season to win City another title.

Sane recalled one particular chat with Guardiola, where the master tactician urged him to emulate one of his former Barcelona players and arguably the best player ever - Messi. But the manager was alluding to Messi's ability to play with freedom, influencing the game through both chance creation and finishing.

Sane explained: "I needed a little time to settle, to know the Premier League, the people here, how they are and to know the players. I had to find my confidence. Pep told me to play with freedom like [Lionel] Messi, not like Messi – it's impossible.

"Be free like Messi, have fun, do things like he wants from a striker like the end of the space [near goal] – take the option to shoot or give an assist."

Guardiola’s advice seemed to bear fruit as Sane made 135 appearances across three full seasons - one having been lost to an ACL injury - netting 39 goals and providing 43 assists in all competitions. After clinching two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and three League Cups, a return to Germany was too enticing for Sane to turn down, leading to his transfer to Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich in 2020.

Since joining Bayern, he has racked up another 187 appearances and a slew of honours, including three Bundesliga titles. Still, it can be argued that Sane hasn't quite hit the same scintillating heights since he parted ways with Guardiola, having been mainly deployed as a substitute this season by Vincent Kompany - his ex-City team-mate.

Even so, the forward has once again been linked with Liverpool and City, as his contract is set to expire next summer. Manchester United have also reportedly shown an interest in him.

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