Guardiola warns getting Berrada won’t be enough for United (Picture: Getty)
Pep Guardiola has warned the arrival of Omar Berrada at Manchester United will not restore the club to its former glories.
In the first major move of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era, United lured Berrada from City where he had served as chief football operations officer for City Football Group to become their new chief executive at Old Trafford.
The move has been viewed as a major coup for United who have been marred by mismanagement on and off the pitch for over a decade.
United will hope Berrada’s arrival will serve as a first major step in getting the club back to challenging City for major honours on a consistent basis.
But Guardiola underlined the huge gap that remains between the two clubs, pointing out City’s neighbours haven’t been able to weaken them in any department leading up to this point.
Asked if Berrada could be taking some of City’s secrets to Old Trafford, Guardiola said: ‘Yeah but Kevin De Bruyne is still in Man City, De Bruyne will play here. Erling Haaland will play here.
‘So at the end it’s not simple like that. Otherwise, with the power of United, they would’ve done it before.’
Berrada spent 13 years at City (Picture: Getty)
Guardiola also warned immediate success is no guarantee for Berrada on the red half of Manchester, insisting United will have to name a stand after him if he does achieve that.
‘Maybe United thinks with this person everything is going to change. Congratulations!
‘So I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know. He’s a lovely person, an incredible character, incredible professional.
‘Yesterday I saw him, we hugged each other and wished him all the best, deeply, I wish him all the best, because he’s a fantastic person.
‘What can I say? But I don’t know whether doing this [clicks fingers] and everything is going to be sorted, and works.
‘If this happens, oh my God, they have to make a stand for Omar Berrada in the future, if this happens.’
City are in FA Cup fourth round action against Tottenham on Friday night with United travelling to Newport County on Sunday.
Berrada leaves City to become United’s new chief executive.