One of FC Barcelona's newest signings has revealed that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola tried to persuade him to join the reigning Premier League champions.
Many consider Barca to have had an impressive transfer window, having brought in most of their reported priority targets, with the exception of City's Bernardo Silva.
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The club signed the likes of former Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, Brazil winger Raphinha from Leeds United, and France international Jules Kounde from LaLiga rivals Sevilla.
While those three players were all linked with London outfit Chelsea at one point, the latter has now revealed that he had also attracted interest from the Citizens a few seasons ago, with Guardiola even reaching out to the 23-year-old in an attempt to prise him away from then-club Sevilla.
"Yes, in my first year at Sevilla, he [Guardiola] called me," Kounde told Spanish outlet El Pais when asked if he was close to joining the Manchester side.
"He told me that he loved me and that he thought I would fit the way he played."
It is reported that despite that interest, the five-time Premier League champions eventually opted instead to sign Ruben Dias, who had an immediate impact at the Etihad, being voted the Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year after his debut campaign in England.
Kounde, who snubbed Chelsea for Barca in the latest window despite a reported agreement for his services between the Blues and Sevilla, also drew comparison between his new boss Xavi Hernandez and Guardiola.
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"I talked a lot about football with both of them [Xavi and Guardiola]. And that's what I like," he added.
"The first thing, in the conversations I had with them, I realised that they had both seen me play. They knew my capabilities perfectly.
"They didn't talk just to talk. They were very precise conversations."
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