Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City are the equivalent of Spanish side Villarreal, according to renowned Spanish journalist Lu Martin.
Martin, who co-wrote a book with the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach, also said he is not surprised that Guardiola said he is already thinking about the end of his coaching career.
Guardiola's City are 10 points behind leaders Chelsea and Martin believes that he is ready for the challenge of making them the best sides in the Premier League.
"At the moment his challenge is Manchester City, who are a team like Villarreal in La Liga, for example, a team which is not one of the top sides. I am not giving my opinion, I am telling you what Guardiola thinks, they are like a second-tier team in the Premier League," Matin told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.
"It is 30 years since Man City have won at Liverpool, for example. He sees it as a personal challenge, to compete against the biggest teams.
"In Spain and in Germany he was competing with a big team -- but in England the big teams are Chelsea, Manchester United, other teams. He has a team which is powerful but not the most powerful.
"He will stick out his three years in the Premier League, and then maybe some more years, as he sees it as a personal challenge."
Martin says that Guardiola faces more competition in the Premier League with many of City's rivals able to compete with them in the transfer market.
"He is in England, with a small team, we must realise that, Manchester City is not the best team in England," the journalist added.
"There are many teams which can compete financially in England. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea [are financially stronger teams]. He has come to England to compete and he is doing that.
"He has a phrase he says -- in England there are two titles, the champion and being among the first four. But apart from that he as a coach is competing to make City win something -- the Premier, the FA Cup, something. But he sees this as part of his life journey."
Ahead of City's 2-1 win over Burnley on Monday, Guardiola also said he was already nearing the end of a coaching career that is less than a decade old.
Martin says his next move could be to become a national team boss when he comes to an end at City.
"It was normal [thing to say]," he added. "Nobody imagines Guardiola managing forever, it has always been like that. He signed for three years at Man City and nobody thinks of him as a coach aged 70.
"His comments, that his spell as a coach was coming to an end, was about clubs. He would still have national team coach [as a future role], which is what I believe will be his next step. Where he wants to show himself, where he can look for a challenge, and he will take that on."