Pep could make a surprise move for Messi.

“At the moment, nothing is certain. We are trying to strengthen the squad, but the transfer market is always unpredictable and many things can happen,” The Times quoted Guardiola as saying on January 4. “The team will try to recruit more players.”

When asked about whether Manchester City will loan or buy players in January 2025, Pep admitted: “What I want to say is that a player comes here for 6 months and can help the team. That is completely different from buying a player for many years.”

Pep’s statement came as Tuttosport revealed that Manchester City are aiming to loan Lionel Messi from Inter Miami for the next 6 months. The Etihad Stadium team has fallen into crisis recently. This situation has forced the Manchester team’s leadership to look for immediate solutions in the upcoming winter transfer window.

Instead of focusing on finding a defensive midfielder to replace the injured Rodri, Guardiola seems to have a different direction. The Catalan coach believes that the arrival of Messi can help Manchester City solve many problems in midfield and attack.

Messi was close to joining Man City in 2021 before choosing PSG. Despite being 37 years old, the Argentine star still showed incredible form when scoring 34 goals and having 18 assists in 39 matches for Inter Miami last season.

However, Manchester City will face the main obstacle from Inter Miami. Messi will return to play for his parent club at the end of February 2025, so Inter Miami does not want to loan the player to Manchester City for 6 months.

However, a shorter loan deal (around 3 months) could benefit both parties, as Inter Miami also wants Messi to stay in good shape for the early stages of MLS 2025.