Josep Guardiola is one of the greatest managers in the history of football, having won championships with various leagues and teams, including Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Barcelona, the latter being the team best remembered by fans for the overwhelming dominance it achieved at home and abroad. This allowed the Spaniard to coach great players such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Argentina captain Lionel Messi, and bring out the best in each player.
But despite having worked with some of the best players in world football, Guardiola recently made it clear that his standards are not what everyone expected, surprising everyone when asked who was the greatest footballer he had ever seen, without mentioning Lionel Messi.
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Who is the best soccer player Pep Guardiola has ever seen?
Guardiola praised Rayan Cherki ahead of the Champions League game against Villarreal in midweek.
He’s one of the greatest talents I’ve ever seen in my career. He is the best both technically and personally.
Pep’s positive comments highlight Cherki’s ability to shine in a team as talented as Manchester City. The player joined from Lyon in 2025 for 36.5 million euros and has already shown his potential with two goals and one assist in just 201 minutes in eight competitive games.
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Cherki adapted quickly to the Premier League and immediately contributed to Manchester City’s rivalry with Arsenal for the top spot. Some of the qualities emphasized by the Spanish manager are technique and vision, which Pep has honed to give his players even more attacking value and is one of the best anticipatory players in the team.
Despite his young age, Cherki has already been compared to the legends that Josep Guardiola has managed, proving once again that he continues to develop talent and give them the confidence to bring out the best in all their qualities. The Spanish tactician will continue to monitor his development and hopes to help his team compete in the Premier League and Champions League.
The Catalan coach’s comments sparked a heated debate over who deserves to be named the best footballer he has ever coached. There is a big difference between the two, and this is because Cherki is just starting his career, while Messi has established himself as one of the greatest footballers of all time, setting records that are very difficult to reach.
