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