Pep Guardiola sends major Man City threat – just days after signing new contract

Pep Guardiola has warned he will leave Manchester City if he doesn't feel the love.

The City boss is in the biggest crisis of his glittering managerial career and has just signed a two-year contract extension with Etihad. Guardiola made it clear he believes he can lift the four-in-a-row champions out of a slump that saw them lose five straight games before throwing away a three-goal Champions League lead against Feyenoord in midweek.

City travel to Liverpool knowing that defeat at Anfield will leave them 11 points behind Arne Slot's runaway leaders. And Guardiola suggested that if he could leave a Barcelona team with Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, he would not hesitate to make the same decision in Manchester.

Guardiola said: “I was in Barcelona. I would say: my club, where I was born. I was there four years, 14 titles. I had Messi, the best player ever. Neymar came – and I said: 'I'm leaving'.

“People asked 'why are you leaving your hometown with this generational player and with Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, all the players who changed the world, won World Cups and European Cups?'

“I left because I felt it – and it's the same here. When I stretch, it's because I feel it. I'm not just sitting here because of what I did.

“Still, I'm happy, I still want to try. But I don't want to stay in a place where I feel like I'm a problem. I don't want that just because the contract is there. My chairman knows. I asked him to give me a chance to try to come back, especially when everyone comes back (from injury) and you see what happens.

“It would have been easy for me to leave when we were doing well, but now I don't want to anymore. I felt like I still had work to do and that I wanted to do it. I want to do it.”