Nathan Redmond Refutes Report That Pep Guardiola Called Him a 'W--ker'

Nathan Redmond has taken to social media to refute a report from The Sun that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola called him a "w--ker" during their discussion after Southamption's 2-1 defeat on Wednesday.

Redmond posted a screenshot of the article in question accompanied by a statement confirming Guardiola's version of events:

The Southampton winger said: "I want to make it absolutely clear that the Man City manager, Pep Guardiola, did not say what The Sun is falsely claiming in this story. Yes he was very passionate, intense and aggressive but he was only very complimentary and positive to me."

Redmond explained that "nothing negative or offensive was said towards me" and concluded: "Sadly this story is an example of lazy journalism and is a complete joke. It does no favours to the sports journalists in the game that I like, happily work with and genuinely respect."

Although it appeared to be a heated exchange between the pair, Guardiola said he praised Redmond after the game, per Simon Peach of the Press Association:

The incident has proved divisive among journalists and pundits alike, with some criticising the manager's behaviour and others welcoming it.

Former Arsenal stars Ian Wright and Alan Smith disagreed with The Times' Oliver Kay's reaction:

ESPN's Alex Shaw also took issue with Guardiola, but as football commentator Derek Rae noted, the coach has form in this area from his time at Bayern Munich:

While Guardiola's actions were unusual, the most important opinion on the matter is Redmond's, and he evidently welcomed the comments he received.

The Sky Blues' next outing will see them host West Ham United on Sunday, where they'll look to continue their title charge with another win.

As for Redmond's Saints, they travel to Bournemouth having won just one of their last five matches.