Pep Guardiola almost didn't join Manchester City from Bayern Munich over his housing arrangements.

Spanish journalists Pol Ballus and Lu Martin were given special access for 'Pep's City: The Making of a Superteam.'

Former player liaison manager David Quintana was ordered sporting director Txiki Begiristain had visited Germany on a top-secret mission to help Guardiola's transition to Manchester.

Ballus and Martin write: "'Go to Munich but tell no one," Begiristain ordered him. 'It seems we've got a problem with The German.'

"They did indeed. In Munich, the Guardiola family had lived in a spacious mansion on Sophienstrasse. Pep demanded accommodation of a similar standard in Manchester and the issue was in danger of becoming a deal-breaker.

"Quintana and Pep met over a leisurely three-hour lunch in a local Vietnamese restaurant.

"Lunch was spent discussing key elements of the club's organisation, infrastructure, players… but the issues around the Guardiolas' new home remained unsolved.

"An anxious Begiristain demanded a full debrief on Quintana's return.

"'So, what did you tell him?'

"'The plain truth: that there basically isn't anything like that in Manchester.'

"The problem was that Pep was refusing to live anywhere but the city centre and there just wasn't the right kind of property there to suit him. It didn't exist."

And Begiristain thought it was all over until Quintana put his mind at ease, saying: "'I just told him, 'No worries; if we have to, we'll build you what you want. It might take a few more months, but we'll make it happen.'"

Guardiola was eventually content with his living arrangements after moving into the luxurious apartment complex in Salford, called City Suites.