Pep Guardiola spent three hours trying to convince Jude Bellingham to join Manchester City before the England star moved to Real Madrid this summer.
Bellingham’s €131 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid was completed in mid-June, ending much speculation,
But it has emerged there was drama behind the scenes with City making a late move that included a higher figure for Dortmund and a higher wage for the player.
Cadena Ser reports that City’s bold move involved a three-hour conversation between Guardiola and Bellingham, during which the City manager tried to convince the midfielder that a move to the Premier League would be a better option and that City were in a better phase of development at Real Madrid.
Ultimately, Bellingham was determined to move to Spain despite the most lucrative offer.
Guardiola respected the decision and wished both Bellingham and Real Madrid luck with the move.
