Pep Guardiola has insisted he will remain as manager ... it feels just as likely that Guardiola rocks up at PIF-owned Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad or Al-Hilal as Al Nassr – but the thought of Cristiano ...

There was a time when Pep Guardiola used to fantasise about fielding a team made entirely of midfielders. “I love midfield players,” he would say. “They are the most intelligent players.