Pep wants to build Barcelona 2.0

Stuart Telford

• 3 Mar 2024 14:00 GMT
• 3 min read

Pep Guardiola wants to emulate his great Barcelona team at Manchester City, with a team infused with academy graduates.

Guardiola's Barcelona conquered all before them in his spell as manager, winning and international sextuple in 2009 with a team dominated by La Masia youth products.

Messi was the best player in the world by then, but he was more than ably assisted by Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Sergio Busquets and more - all players who cost the club nothing.

READ MORE: Latest Man City transfer news

Ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby, Guardiola's City have started to blood more academy players, with Phil Foden joined in the senior squad by Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb in recent times.

And he hopes to repeat what he achieved at Camp Nou, creating a Barcelona 2.0 at the Eithad.

Pep: 'we'd love' to emulate Barca

"We'd love it," he told The Telegraph's Ian Whittell. "I remember in Barcelona we played two Champions League finals against [Manchester] United and seven of them were from the academy.

"What does it mean [financially]? Zero! We didn't get any profit because they were so good and we didn't sell them. But that is the dream. Players who love the club, born here."

READ MORE: Latest Barcelona transfer news

City have cashed in on academy players of late, with Cole Palmer's performances at Chelsea since his £40 million move last summer now looking like a footballing mistake if not a financial one.

"We've sold a lot of young players in the last year who make us sustainable but maybe they could play here, we'll never know," Guardiola continued. "In that moment they want to start to play and every situation is different."

Barca continue to promote academy players, with Gavi, Alejandro Balde and Lamine Yamal among their most-used players in La Liga this season, but financial dire straits mean they may have to cash in even more prolifically than City.