This season's Premier League is widely regarded to be blessed with some of the best coaches in the world right now.

Following the summer arrivals of Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte, as well as Jose Mourinho's return with Manchester United, there would many clubs outside of the top six who would love to have any of them manage their team.

The debate on which manager is the best is neverending and in truth, it's almost impossible to determine exactly what makes one coach better than another.

Nevertheless, Manchester City's Guardiola has weighed in with a surprising choice, to say the least.

The Spaniard, who has earned rave reviews for the way he gets his sides to play and the success he has enjoyed with Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the past, believes the best coach in the world isn't in the Premier League.

In fact, Guardiola has named someone who has been out of the game all season.

Ahead of Man City's Champions League tie against Monaco this week, Guardiola revealed his respect for incoming Lille boss Marcelo Bielsa.

"My admiration for Marcelo Bielsa is huge because he makes the players much, much better," Guardiola said, as per Goal.

"Still, I didn't meet one guy, a former player from Marcelo Biesla who speaks no good about him.

"They are grateful about his influence on their careers in football.

"He helped me a lot with his advice. Whenever I speak with him I always feel like he wants to help me."

It wasn't that long ago that the former manager of Argentina, Chile Athletic Bilbao and Marseille was linked with the job at Swansea.

However, it was confirmed on Monday that Bielsa will replace Lille's interim boss Franck Passi at the end of the season.

And although Bielsa's managerial career has not been as trophy-laden as Guardiola's, the Man City coach thinks he deserves far more credit for his achievements.

He added: "It is important for me to say this about Marcelo because it doesn't matter how many titles he had in his career.

"We are judged by that – how much success we have, how many titles we have won.

"But that is much less influential than how he has influenced football and his football players.

"That is why, for me, he is the best coach in the world. I am looking forward to seeing him in Lille next season."

Lille will be Bielsa's first job back in football since his ridiculous two-day reign at Lazio last summer.

After quitting 48 hours into the role, the Argentine later revealed that he decided to walk away from the Serie A side following the board's failure to sign a single new player before the start of pre-season.