Throughout his tenure, Pep Guardiola has recruited some exceptional players for Manchester City. However, the legendary coach was extremely disappointed when the club failed to secure an £80 million hero in 2019.
In terms of the transfer market, City have not made many mistakes during the Guardiola era, although some supporters may argue that this has changed in recent years.
Allowing Cole Palmer to join Chelsea is the error that everyone in the football world discusses, and failing to pursue Virgil van Dijk more aggressively is another. However, there is one transfer saga that truly left Guardiola dissatisfied with his superiors.
Guardiola, the renowned coach, was relieved that Man City did not submit a more substantial proposal for the £80 million star.
Harry Maguire’s recruitment to Manchester United caused Pep Guardiola considerable distress.
Man City and Man United engaged in a pursuit of Harry Maguire during the summer of 2019, following the announcement that the centre-back would be departing Leicester City.
Maguire stated, “I conversed with Pep regarding the football they play and his contributions to the club.” “I have a deep admiration for Pep and the game, as well as the change he has brought to football. However, as I previously stated, Manchester United was my first choice due to the level of interest they have shown in me.”
Guardiola was dissatisfied with the fact that Man City did not acquire the current Manchester United player, as he believed that his superiors at the Manchester club should have increased their offer to £80 million, as reported by the Daily Mail. However, Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano were ultimately proven correct.
The Portuguese star has been a much better investment than Maguire over the last five years, and Ruben Dias would relocate to the Etihad Stadium a year later.
The England international would later acknowledge that City never had a chance once United made their interest in the centre-back obvious, and the Red Devils would ultimately win the £80m race.
Leave a Reply