Published: 16:57, 16 October 2025 | Updated: 16:58, 16 October 2025

Pep Lijnders and Manchester City represented arguably the most intriguing link-up of the last transfer window. Certainly the most surprising, what with Lijnders being a disciple of City’s great foe Jurgen Klopp. Heavy metal meets Pep Guardiola’s jazz. 

City have always been happy enough creating a noise but have preferred to do so at their own pace. Slower than Dutchman Lijnders is accustomed to, slower than he preaches and slower than Guardiola feels City now need to be, amid the changing face of the Premier League.

It took one phone call for the pair to iron out what this double act might look like, Guardiola having sought Klopp’s counsel and permission over the approach. 

Guardiola's assistant Juanma Lillo was on his way out – alongside another coach Inigo Dominguez, with Carlos Vicens taking the Braga manager's job – and this unlikeliest of marriages heralded a new era upstairs at the City Football Academy, with its pristine white office walls that Guardiola is known to have scribbled ideas on.

This represents a...