Neymar Says He's Always Wanted to Work with Pep Guardiola

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar has given the rumour mill yet more fodder, telling reporters he's long wanted to work with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola amid persistent speculation that has linked him with Real Madrid.

As reported by Catalan newspaper Sport, the former Barcelona man lamented the fact he arrived at the Camp Nou after Guardiola's departure: "I have always wanted to work with Guardiola. He's different. I arrived [at Barca] a year after he left. I'd love to work with him."

City's official Twitter account picked up on the high praise and alerted their fans in the process:

As noted by Sport, Neymar has been linked with Real Madrid at length, and Los Blancos haven't avoided the speculation. Their players have talked about the Brazil international on a regular basis, feeding a belief he'll leave PSG for the Spanish giants just one year after his move from La Liga.

He's also been linked with Manchester United, per Marca, and these comments may not go down too well on the red side of the city.

City could add an interesting wrinkle to this saga, even if the Sky Blues are not expected to throw a ton of money at a single player this summer. The Premier League champions already have an impressive squad seemingly ready to compete with anyone, and their transfer business ahead of the 2018-19 campaign will likely focus on adding depth and youth.

Things could change if Neymar becomes available, although Guardiola may not want to upset the balance of his squad too much with the necessary sales it would take to raise the capital for the 26-year-old.