Laporta wants Guardiola back at Barcelona

Separate from the bombshell of rivals Real Madrid that announced the departure of coach Zinedine Zidane, Barcelona continue to make steps towards a new project under Joan Laporta.

The Barca president will begin his first full season in charge of the club since his return, and he still is yet to decide which manager will lead his side. He asked Ronald Koeman for a few days to make a decision, something which has left the Dutchman in a very bad place.

Of course, Laporta knows that Barca have to keep in mind the financial situation of the club, meaning they probably can't afford the 13 million euros it would cost them to relieve the current manager from his duties.

'AS' reported that the president's dream is to convince Pep Guardiola to return to the helm. That's despite the current City boss repeatedly saying that he wouldn't return to Barcelona to take charge of the team.

Things could change if Pep wins his first Champions League trophy since leaving the Catalan side in this Saturday's final. It would be a weight off his shoulders and would perhaps tick off his last main objective at the 'Sky Blues', potentially opening the door for new opportunities.

According to the aforementioned source, Laporta's plan would be to have Koeman in charge until his contract runs out in 2022, where he would then be replaced by Guardiola. This is why Laporta was so ambiguious during his meeting with Koeman.

It might seem impossible, but with Laporta as president - who still has a strong relationship with Pep - you never know. The manager renewed with City until 2023 and could prolong his stay at the Etihad even further until 2024 - if that's what he wants to do.