Barcelona Believes that Valverde will be a success at the club

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola has eulogised over just how good Leo Messi is, while also stating that Barcelona are in good hands with Ernesto Valverde.

Following a season in which the Catalan giants won just the Copa del Rey, following a 3-1 win over Alaves, the team came in for much criticism but Guardiola believes that this is overstated.

"I see Barcelona a lot better than how they see it over there," the 46-year-old told the Catalan newspaper L'Esportiu.

"The work of Luis Enrique has been excellent. With him, when they were good, they were almost unbeatable. They have played very good football. While Messi is around, this will be the case. And I am not saying that the players that have been signed are bad."

The former Barcelona coach is clear in his belief that Messi is the best player he's witnessed, too.

"He is the best player I have ever seen," he continued. "The best thing about him is not what he does, but how simple he makes everything look. He is not just the best player because he can dribble past three or four players, it is because he does it better than anyone else in the world."

Ernesto Valverde, a former teammate of Guardiola, is the Barcelona's new head coach and the City boss believes that he will triumph at the Blaugrana.

"I think Barcelona needed a coach like Ernesto," said Guardiola. "A squad like this one, which has won everything, needs a guy who wants them.

"You need someone that understands the club, and Ernesto is that person. Also, he is a coach with a lot of knowledge. It will go well, as I knew that it would with Luis Enrique."

City have also managed to steal one of La Masia's best young players in Eric Garcia, but Guardiola is yet to see the 16-year-old in action.

"To tell the truth, I have not seen him play," he said. "They have told me that he is very good.

"We were aware that the boy did not want to continue [at Barcelona], and City did the rest. Barcelona has always had a great squad.

"Although I don't know exactly, I'm sure that there are very good players in the academy of Barcelona."