Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has confessed he was aware of interest from Manchester United before moving to England but says an offer was never tabled.
Silva, 24, jetted to Manchester from Monaco last summer with passengers onboard his flight to the North West of England under the impression that he was joining Premier League heavyweights Man Utd.
And with Portuguese compatriot Jose Mourinho in charge of the Red Devils, those passengers would have been forgiven for the mixup, however, Silva has now admitted that only Pep Guardiola showed true intent on signing him.
Speaking to The Sun about his transfer to City, Silva said: “There was a guy on the plane who thought I was going to Man United. He was a United fan. I didn’t tell him he was wrong.
“But, yeah, a lot of people didn’t know where I was going.
“I heard about the interest and I’ve friends at United. One of the physios there was with me at Monaco. The manager, of course, is Portuguese and I’ve met him around.
“Victor Lindelof – we were in the same year in Benfica. Nemanja Matic, I trained with him in Benfica, so I know a few players.
“But if I have to be precise, the only official offer my agent got was the one from City. I was really happy with the offer from such a fantastic club and I have to think it was the right decision.”
Having won the Ligue 1 title with Les Monegasques in 2017, Silva has also revealed that he knew a host of clubs would be vying for his signature having produced a number of scintillating performances on the French Riviera.
He added: “In my last season at Monaco, my agent would not tell me the clubs that were interested in me.
“He wanted me to be fully focused for Monaco. He’d say ‘At the end of the season, we will talk’. I knew people were talking about certain clubs.
“Then after the end of the season, four days after the last game, he called me and said City were interested and it was a great opportunity for me.”
The Portuguese playmaker made 53 appearances across all competitions last seasons as City cantered to the Premier League title, though many of those were off the bench.
This season, Guardiola has given Silva a more influential role, with the pint-sized forward already starting six league games, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
The Citizens face a crunch clash with Liverpool on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League.
The post Bernardo Silva says Man Utd never made an offer for him despite strong personal connections appeared first on Squawka News.
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