Nedum Onuoha revealed he told Eberechi Eze to sign for Manchester City this summer.
The pundit, who played alongside Eze at Queens Park Rangers revealed on the Filthy Fellas podcast that he was even open to helping him settle in if he made his move from London to Manchester.
However, it was revealed by The Athletic journalist David Ornstein in September that despite Manchester City’s interest in Eberechi Eze, the club were more interested in signing Matheus Nunes.
Nedum Onuoha says he told Eberechi Eze to sign for Manchester City
Later that month, it was claimed that Pep Guardiola’s preference for having a small squad meant he did not want the club to try and sign the Crystal Palace midfielder.
Even so, it was claimed in September that Guardiola continues to privately admire the 25-year-old.
Nedum Onuoha told the Filthy Fellas podcast that he asked Eberechi Eze to say yes to a move to Manchester City.
“So, in the summer, he [Eberechi Eze] was linked with going to City and I was like, ‘Listen, man, if you need a drive around the city or anything like that, you know what I mean? Just do the right thing, just come this way, boy, I’ve got the shirt ready, whatever you need, I’ll show you around.’ It didn’t quite work out but for him to be linked with them shows how far he is in his career right now.”
Missing out on Eberechi Eze does not seem like a huge miss
One can understand why Nedum Onuoha was keen on Eberechi Eze joining Manchester City, considering he is one of the Premier League’s best attacking midfielders.
But with Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez performing adeptly as attacking midfielders in Kevin De Bruyne’s injury-stricken absence, the decision not to sign the Englishman does not seem like a blow.
With De Bruyne having returned to full fitness as well, City have no reason to lament their call not to have sealed the deal for Eze.
Manchester City remain in the hunt for the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, as was the case last season when they won the treble.
However, if certain senior players potentially leave the Etihad Stadium in the summer of 2024, perhaps the club could re-ignite their reported interest in Eberechi Eze.
