Pep Guardiola has brought some incredible players to Man City throughout his reign, but the legendary coach was not happy when the Manchester club missed out on an £80m star in 2019.
When it comes to the transfer market, City have not slipped up too often during the Guardiola era, although some fans may debate that over more recent years.
Allowing Cole Palmer to join Chelsea is the mistake everybody in the football world talks about, not going in harder for Virgil van Dijk is another, but there is one transfer saga that genuinely left Guardiola upset with his bosses.
The legendary coach wanted Man City to bid bigger for the £80m star, and in the end, Guardiola was glad that he didn’t.
Pep Guardiola during Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Pep Guardiola was upset when Harry Maguire joined Man United
The summer of 2019 saw Man City and Man United battle for Harry Maguire once it became clear that the centre-back would leave Leicester City.
The Red Devils would win the £80m race with England international later admitting that City never had a chance once United made their interest in the centre-back clear.
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“I spoke to Pep about the football that they play and what he’s done for the club,” said Maguire. “I’ve got great respect for Pep and the game and the evolution of what he’s brought to football, but like I said, it was Manchester United my heart was set on from the amount of interest that they’ve shown in me.”
According to the Daily Mail, Guardiola was not happy when Man City missed out on the current Man United star, believing his bosses at the Manchester club should have stretched their offer to £80m, but Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano were proven correct.
Ruben Dias would move to the Etihad Stadium a year later, and it is fair to say that the Portuguese star has been a much better investment than Maguire over the last five years.
Harry Maguire in action for Manchester United v Fiorentina.
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How Ruben Dias compares to Harry Maguire
Dias recently signed a new contract at Man City, which shows how highly thought of he is at the Manchester club and how successful he has been at the Etihad Stadium since 2020.
The 28-year-old has proven to be a pure defender who loves to get stuck into a tackle and has a good all-round understanding of the defensive side of the game.
Maguire is a slightly different defender, as the Man United star doesn’t have the football IQ of Dias, but he is a bigger aerial threat and is a better passer of the ball.
Player Games Goals Assists Trophies
Ruben Dias 224 4 5 10
Harry Maguire 249 16 8 2
Ruben Dias’ stats at Man City compared to Harry Maguire’s at Man United
The England star is a good footballer, but playing in poor Man United teams has stopped the centre-back from reaching his full potential.
It is uncertain how his career would have played out had he moved to Man City, but it certainly would have gone better under Guardiola’s watch.