Where are they now? The 7 superstars Pep Guardiola tried to sign for Bayern Munich

Former Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City stars are among the high-profile players that Pep Guardiola wanted to sign for Bayern Munich.

The Spaniard spent three years managing in Germany and although he signed some big names, he didn’t manage to land all of his top targets.

According to Christian Falk’s ‘inside Bayern Munich’ book, these were the seven superstars that Guardiola wanted to sign during his time in the Bundesliga.

Neymar

Prior to joining Barcelona, Guardiola tried to persuade the Brazilian to join him at Bayern Munich instead.

“I almost went to Bayern [in 2013] because of Guardiola,” Neymar recently told Brazilian podcast Podpah.

“I was in Switzerland to receive the Puskas award and was in my room. My father called me at two in the morning.

“I answered, he told me to open the door…. I was in boxers. My father, Guardiola and the translator were there.

“Pep said to me, I would like to sign you and bring you to me, to whatever club I go to. I will make you the best player in the world.”

However, Neymar instead opted to join Barcelona as he dreamed of playing alongside Lionel Messi.

Now aged 33, he’s back playing at Santos and seems to be rediscovering his form after a disappointing spell with Al-Hilal.

Luis Suarez

When lighting things up for Liverpool, Suarez caught the attention of Guardiola. However, like with Neymar, he ended up missing out on the Uruguayan thanks to his former club.

Barcelona splashed around £65million to bring him to Camp Nou and the rest is history. With 198 goals in 283 appearances for the club, it’s safe to say that Barcelona got themselves a decent deal.

While the 38-year-old is no longer at the very peak of his powers, he’s still slotting the goals away today for Inter Miami in MLS.

For Bayern, it probably worked out well in the long run that they didn’t sign Suarez, as they instead landed a deal for Robert Lewandowski in 2014.

Eden Hazard

While Guardiola has always held Hazard in a high regard, the Belgian isn’t sure if he would’ve thrived under the former Bayern boss.

“I don’t know,” Hazard told John Obi Mikel’s Obi One Podcast when asked if he would’ve liked to have played under Guardiola.

“This guy demands a lot, but for me as a player, I like my freedom. If you ask me to stay there, I’m not gonna stay there.

“I think he’s the best in the world, but I don’t know. Give me the freedom and I’ll win games.”

A move to Bayern Munich never materialised for Hazard, despite the German giants being interested on a number of occasions.

Instead, he enjoyed his peak years with Chelsea before ending his career with Real Madrid. Since hanging up his boots in 2023, the 34-year-old has kept a relatively low profile.

Paul Pogba

While Pogba was ripping things up during his original spell with Juventus, Guardiola supposedly wanted to bring him to Bayern Munich.

“I met Paul Pogba for the first time when Bayern Munich played Juventus,” Guardiola told reporters in 2017.

“In both games, I was really impressed. He played in 10 positions. He is an outstanding player and he can do absolutely everything.”

The 31-year-old has been ineligible to play since February last year due to a doping ban, although that’s set to expire this month.

He’s currently a free agent and is on the lookout for his next club. Watch this space.

READ: 10 elite players with surprisingly shocking penalty records: Watkins, Pogba, Pirlo…

Marco Verratti

We can’t help but think that a player like Verratti would’ve thrived under Guardiola.

However, a move to Bayern Munich never materialised as the diminutive midfielder instead spent his peak years playing for PSG.

“I’m in love, he is an exceptional player,” is how Guardiola described Verratti in 2021.

“He is not a player for long-distance passes, but you can count on him for the build-up and knows exactly where are the spaces to create another situation.”

After spending 11 years in Paris, the Italian now plays for Qatari side Al-Arabi.

Kevin De Bruyne

While Guardiola wasn’t able to sign De Bruyne during his time in Germany, he’s since had the chance to work with him at Manchester City.

In fact, only Bernardo Silva and Ederson have played more games under Guardiola than De Bruyne has. In 369 appearances under Pep, the Belgian playmaker has produced 251 goal contributions.

His time at Manchester City looks to be coming towards and end, but there’s no denying he ranks among the greatest Premier League players of all time.

Raheem Sterling

Likewise, Guardiola wasn’t able to sign Sterling for Bayern Munich, but he did work with him at Manchester City.

In fact, only Sergio Aguero and Lionel Messi have scored more goals for Guardiola than Sterling has. In 292 appearances, the England international scored 120 goals under Pep.

The 30-year-old’s peak years seem to be behind him now as he’s struggled to make much of an impact at Arsenal while on loan from Chelsea.

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TRY A QUIZ: Can you name every player Bayern Munich have signed from the Premier League?