The rumours of Pep Guardiola raiding his former club Barcelona upon his arrival at Manchester City refuse to fade away. Gerard Pique is one of the players linked to his former manager, but the defender has recently made his stance on a move to the Etihad Stadium very clear.
29-year-old defender Gerard Pique has been a mainstay in the Barcelona side ever since Pep Guardiola brought him back to the club in 2008. He has won five league titles and three Champions League medals since then, and has become almost synonymous with the Catalan club.
With former manager Pep Guardiola arriving at the Blue side of Manchester next season, Pique has been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium as well. However, the Spaniard took to live streaming application Periscope to clear any doubts about his loyalties.
“My love for Manchester United is too great for me to sign for City, even though Pep is a great coach.” he said. [via: espnfc.com]
“I’m very happy in Barcelona. United are my second club, but my future is at Barca.”
A talent lost
Gerard Pique has fond memories of his time at Manchester United, where he won a Premier League title and a Champions League medal as well. He signed as a 17-year-old in 2004, and played 23 games for the Red Devils in his four years at Old Trafford, interrupted by a loan spell at Real Zaragoza in 2006-07.
Although Sir Alex Ferguson believed he had the potential to succeed, Manchester United had one of the most solid defensive cores in the club’s history — Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic — at that point of time. There was never a chance for Pique to break up that partnership in central defence. He returned to Barcelona in 2008 for a 5 million pound fee, which is a pittance considering his contributions to the team over the years.
