Former Spain star turned coach Michel has hailed Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte, saying Pep Guardiola has helped to improve the centre-back.
Laporte was a big hit at Manchester City after arriving in a £58.5m deal from Athletic Bilbao in January 2018.
He quickly established himself as the best centre-back at the club, and indeed a series of impressive performances had some believing he was best in the Premier League.
His absence was sorely felt in the 2019/20 campaign, when a long-term injury left him on the sidelines and Manchester City with a hole they were unable to fill in their defence.
That saw them finish 19 points behind Liverpool that year and push for the signing of Ruben Dias in the summer to make up for it.
The Portuguese star has since replaced Laporte in the team and established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe, but Michel remains a fan of his fellow Spaniard.
“He (Laporte) has improved his positioning and the way he plays because he has a coach who not only wins but who investigates and works.”
After praising Laporte, Michel then turned his attention to the coach who has helped develop his game at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola.
The Spanish coach is currently leading City on another title challenge this year, having already picked up three Premier League titles at the Etihad.
When the season ends, he will be in the final year of his contract at the club, with his current deal set to expire in 2023.
At that point, it is believed he will step away and go on a sabbatical, as he did following his spells with Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Michel has another idea, though, and has challenged his compatriot to take a completely different job to the one he is accustomed to, and where he ‘doesn’t have so much money’.
“If I were Guardiola, instead of taking a sabbatical year, I’d take a mid-level Spanish club to test myself and see what I’m capable of,” he added.
