Fernandinho has claimed that Pep Guardiola blocked Kevin De Bruyne’s move to Bayern Munich so Manchester City could sign the Belgian.
Prior to his arrival at the Etihad Stadium, De Bruyne showcased his exceptional talent at Wolfsburg, where he put in several remarkable performances, scoring 16 goals and providing 28 assists during a remarkable campaign. Guardiola, then playing for Bayern Munich, first experienced the threat posed by De Bruyne when his side suffered a 4-1 defeat to Wolfsburg, which left a lasting impression on the Catalan manager.
Ex-City star Fernandinho has shed light on Guardiola’s alleged strategy, revealing that despite Bayern’s interest in De Bruyne, the Spanish manager vetoed the transfer, expressing doubts over the suitability of the move. player for his team. The former City captain also insinuated that Guardiola knew in advance that he would eventually join the Premier League club and had intentionally shifted De Bruyne’s career to the Etihad.
Guardiola, the little trickster
Fernandinho speaking on the Denilson Show: “ Guardiola was at Bayern and De Bruyne at Wolfsburg. The Bayern scouts said: “We are looking at this boy, what do you think about bringing him here? “. And Pep (replied): ‘No, no, no, I don’t want him, I don’t think he will fit into our team.’ The year passes, De Bruyne goes to Man City. Another year passes, and Guardiola arrives at City. You understand ? The guy knew he was going to City and sent De Bruyne there“.
Since joining City, De Bruyne has become one of the Premier League’s best players, with an impressive tally of 98 goals and 165 assists in 369 appearances in all competitions. Under Guardiola, the 32-year-old was instrumental in City’s success, contributing to five Premier League titles, a Champions League triumph, five League Cups and two FA Cups.
