‘Maybe they think…’ — Pep Guardiola takes cheeky stance on Omar Berrada’s Man United move

Pep Guardiola has opened up on the Manchester City secrets that Omar Berrada could take with him to cross-town rivals Manchester United.

The two clubs recently announced that Berrada will leave his post as Chief Operating Officer of City Football Group (CFG) to take the Chief Executive Officer job at rivals Manchester United. The 46-year-old left the CFG with ‘immediate effect’ last week.

Berrada is known as one of the key figures in the building of modern-day Manchester City as we know them after overseeing the club’s commercial sponsorship deals throughout the 2010s before taking a role with CFG.

The move is seen as a major coup for Manchester United, leading many Manchester City fans to fear the worst when it comes to Berrada bringing his secrets of the trade to Old Trafford after years of success at the Etihad.

City boss Pep Guardiola believes otherwise however, playing down any chance that Berrada will immediately replicate his successes for the red half of Manchester.

“Kevin De Bruyne is still in Man City, De Bruyne will play here,” Guardiola said in a recent press conference.

“Erling Haaland will play here. So at the end it’s not simple like that *clicks fingers*, you know that?

“Otherwise, with the power of United, they would’ve done it before. Maybe United thinks with this person everything is going to change, congratulations!

“So I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know. He’s a lovely person, an incredible character, incredible professional.

“What can I say? But I don’t know whether doing this *clicking fingers* and everything is going to be sorted, and works.

“If this happens, oh my god, they have to make a stand for Omar Berrada in the future, if this happens.”

Pep Guardiola’s side currently sit 11 points clear of Manchester United, and the Red Devils have not finished above the Etihad outfit in the Premier League since the 2012/13 season.

Back on the pitch however, City return to Premier League action with a visit from Vincent Kompany’s Burnley as they look to keep the pressure on league leaders Liverpool.