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In 2016, Pep Guardiola tried to bring Marc-André ter Stegen to Manchester City after he was appointed the club’s manager. The Spanish tactician sought a goalkeeper with exceptional skills in playing out from the back and saw the German international as an ideal fit.
According to German newspaper Bild, Ter Stegen revealed that Guardiola flew to Barcelona to personally discuss the move. “Pep really tried hard,” said the Barcelona goalkeeper. “He explained his ideas to me and that he would be at Manchester City starting in the summer and would like to have me.”
At the time, Ter Stegen felt frustrated by his lack of regular league appearances at Barcelona. Despite winning numerous titles, he believed he wasn’t given the chance to establish himself as the club’s number one goalkeeper. He considered moving to City, but Barcelona manager Luis Enrique blocked the transfer, insisting that Ter Stegen was not for sale.
After meeting with Guardiola in Barcelona, Ter Stegen told Enrique about his desire to leave. The Barcelona coach firmly rejected his request, saying he wouldn’t let Ter Stegen go under any circumstances. “I said that on the one hand I really appreciated it, but on the other hand I wanted to be number one,” Ter Stegen recalled.
Eventually, Enrique and the club’s board stood firm, and Ter Stegen stayed at Barcelona. A few weeks later, Manchester City signed Ter Stegen’s teammate, Claudio Bravo, as their new goalkeeper. Although the situation initially felt strange for Ter Stegen, he has since enjoyed great success at Barcelona, winning 16 trophies.
Reflecting on the incident, Ter Stegen feels happy with how things turned out. Despite the near-transfer, he found his place at Barcelona and continued to play an instrumental role in the team’s success.