Gianluigi Buffon has revealed that Man City made a ‘very big offer’ to sign him while he was still with Juventus as they began their ascent in English football.
The Italian legend has cemented his place in the history books with a glittering career that has seen him win major honours with club and country.
As he continues to go strong at Paris Saint-Germain this season, he’ll be aiming to end his wait for the Champions League, which has eluded him all these years.
However, he has now revealed that his career could have taken a very different path as he had a big offer from City to consider while he was still in Turin, while also revealing that Sir Alex Ferguson also paid an early interest in him too.
“When I was a boy playing for Parma, Ferguson tracked me closely for two or three years, and he’d always send scouts to watch me,” he told BT Sport.
“At the time, Parma was my world and I didn’t feel like leaving.
“I later had a very big offer from Manchester City, when they started to build the team and become the most important side in Europe.
“They wanted me to be the first signing, but I stayed at Juve.”
That level of loyalty has ensured that Buffon remains a popular figure around the world, with his quality on the pitch setting him apart from the rest too.
It doesn’t sound like he regretted that decision, but it would certainly have been interesting to see him in the Premier League and establishing himself as a key figure in City’s pursuit of success. Based on the silverware they’ve won in recent years, they’ve not done too badly without him in fairness.
