Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has warned Manchester United that taking executive Omar Berrada away from rivals will not solve all their problems.
United have hired Berrada as their new chief executive, ending a nearly 10-year stay at City.
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The first major appointment since the announcement of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's involvement at Old Trafford is seen as a blow for United, but Guardiola insists the move will not automatically close the gap on City.
“Kevin De Bruyne is still at Manchester City,” Guardiola said.
“De Bruyne will play here. Erling Haaland will play here, so in the end it's not that simple. Maybe United will think that with this person everything will change. Congratulations. I don't know if this will happen.
“He [Berrada] He is a lovely person, an incredible character, an incredible professional.
“Yesterday I saw him, we hugged and I wished him all the best, deep down I wish him the best because he is a fantastic person.
“But I do not know if [by] doing this [clicks his fingers] everything will be fixed and works. If that happens, then my goodness, they are going to have to defend Omar Berrada in the future because he deserves it.”
Berrada has been a key part of City's off-field structure, spending four years as director of operations at the Etihad Stadium before a promotion to director of football operations for the City Football Group in 2020.
His work alongside president Khaldoon Al Mubarak, director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano has helped City achieve an era of unprecedented success culminating in last season's treble.
Guardiola admits Berrada will be missed but insists the club will “move forward”.
“Obviously his knowledge goes to United, that is the reality,” said Guardiola.
“When you buy a player from another club, you buy the knowledge that player has had in the past with other coaches and teammates. That's normal. In this club, these situations happen.
“The club will continue. Maybe we will find a way to replace him and we will continue, because the new guy will come maybe from here, Ferran and Khaldoon will decide.
“We will be well prepared, we will adapt, we will adjust and we will move forward. We learned a lot from Omar, but he learned a lot from the club and now he has gone to United.”
