Guardiola: Raiola invited me to sign Pogba, Mkhitaryan 2 months ago

Pep Guardiola dropped a massive what-could-have-been bombshell on the eve of the potential title-clinching Manchester derby.

Late last month, the Manchester City manager was affronted by super-agent Mino Raiola for his refusal to play Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic during their time together at Barcelona, with Raiola referring to Guardiola as a "cowardly dog."

Guardiola responded to the agent's tirade at Friday's press conference, revealing Raiola had tried to persuade him to sign disenfranchised midfielders Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan away from rivals Manchester United earlier this year.

"Finally, the people discover my secrets - a bad guy. I'm a coward," Guardiola said sarcastically, courtesy of The Guardian's Jamie Jackson. "I don’t understand why I am a so bad guy. I never speak with him so his opinion (about me), I don't know. But being a guy who two months ago offered me Mkhitaryan and Pogba to play with us. Why?

"Why he offer? He was interested in Mkhitaryan and Pogba to play with us? So he has to protect his players and has to know he cannot bring the players to a guy like me, like a dog. And comparing a dog is bad. It’s not good. He has to respect the dogs."

Raiola later responded to Guardiola's claim, and though he didn't outright deny offering his clients, he insisted he did not speak to the coach directly.

"I never spoke to Pep Guardiola," Raiola told Simon Stone of BBC Sport. "I would not speak to him about players; I would speak to Manchester City.

"They are a fantastic club with a fantastic manager."

Now in his second season with the Red Devils, Pogba has reportedly been at odds with manager Jose Mourinho, who dropped the midfielder from the starting XI for a stretch of matches in February due to a run of poor form. Though Mourinho denied there was a rift between him and Pogba, the 24-year-old French star couldn't help but seemingly lend an ear to Guardiola's comments.

Mkhitaryan, meanwhile, was ultimately shipped to Arsenal toward the conclusion of the January transfer window.

City can clinch its third Premier League title in seven seasons with a win over United at the Etihad on Saturday.