Former Manchester City captain Fernandinho recently shared insights into how Pep Guardiola, during his tenure at Bayern Munich, passed on the opportunity to sign Kevin De Bruyne from Wolfsburg.
Guardiola, renowned for his management prowess, guided Bayern to multiple Bundesliga titles and German Cups, showcasing his knack for nurturing talent.
Pep Guardiola’s De Bruyne decision: strategic vision or missed opportunity?
However, Fernandinho disclosed that, despite the chance to secure De Bruyne’s services, Guardiola opted not to pursue the midfielder, suggesting he wouldn’t fit his vision for the team. This decision, however, didn’t deter De Bruyne’s rise to greatness in the Premier League, where he became a pivotal figure for Manchester City.
Fernandinho hinted that Guardiola’s foresight might have been influenced by the prospect of joining forces with De Bruyne at Manchester City. This revelation sheds light on Guardiola’s strategic thinking and long-term planning for his future team.
Sterling and Gundogan included in Pep Guardiola’s plan?
Interestingly, reports emerged that Guardiola also passed on the opportunity to sign other future City players like Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling during his time at Bayern.
These decisions, although surprising at the time, ultimately aligned with Guardiola’s vision, as he later brought them to Manchester City, bolstering the squad for his managerial stint.
“He [Guardiola] was at Bayern and De Bruyne was at Wolfsburg,” the Brazilian said.
“The Bayern scouting department says, ‘We’re looking at this kid, what do you think about bringing him here?’ Pep says, ‘No, no, no, I don’t want him, I don’t think he’ll fit into our team’.
“A year passes, De Bruyne goes to Man City. Another year passes, Guardiola arrives at Man City. Got it?
“The guy knew he was going to City and sent De Bruyne there…”, Fernandinho said, as reported by football365
The narrative paints Guardiola as a strategic mastermind, making calculated decisions that would shape the future of his managerial career and the fortunes of Manchester City.
