Pep Guardiola issues defiant response after seeing Manchester United pinch former Man City chief Omar Berrada

Pep Guardiola jokingly suggested Manchester United should name a stand after Omar Berrada if he manages to transform their fortunes.

Berrarda left his role as chief football operations officer at Manchester City last weekend after accepting a post as chief executive at Old Trafford.

The appointment is a major coup for Man United with Berrada having been a key off-field part of City's recent triumphs, but Guardiola has warned that his fellow Spaniard is no instant guarantee of success.

The City manager said: «Obviously his knowledge goes to United, that's the reality.

»When you buy a player from another club you buy the knowledge that this player has had in the past with other managers and team-mates. That is normal.

«We learned a lot from Omar and he's learned a lot from the club, and now he's gone to United.

»But Kevin De Bruyne is still in Man City, De Bruyne will play here. Erling Haaland will play here, so in the end it's not that simple. Otherwise, with the power of United, they would have done it before.

«Maybe United think with this person everything is going to change — congratulations. I don't know if this is going to happen.

»He is a lovely person, an incredible character, incredible professional. Yesterday I saw him, we hugged and I wished him all the best. Deeply, I wish him the best because he's a fantastic person.

«But I don't know if by doing this (clicks his fingers) everything is going to be sorted and it works.

»If it does happen then, oh my God, they have to make a stand for Omar Berrada in the future because he'd deserve it."

Guardiola insists there are no hard feelings over Berrada's departure and is confident City will appoint wisely when it comes to naming his successor.

He said: «We try to keep the best