Since arriving at Manchester City in 2016, there have not been many mistakes made at the Etihad Stadium during Pep Guardiola’s reign.
That is evident in the 100-point season, a treble-winning season and the never-before-done, four Premier League titles in a row.
This season has seen City and the Spaniard make more errors than normal, which is why the summer is a huge one for Man City as the Premier League champions need to refresh their squad, while somehow finding a way to replace the outgoing Kevin De Bruyne.
A centre-back is not on the agenda for Guardiola this summer, but the 54-year-old would never have needed to worry about that position throughout his time at City had he signed a £75m talent in 2018.
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Man City haunted by Virgil van Dijk decision
Liverpool have confirmed that Virgil van Dijk has signed a new contract with the Merseyside club, which keeps him at Anfield until 2027.
Since his £75m arrival from Southampton in 2018, the Dutch star has gone on to become the best centre-back in the world and many even argue that the Reds defender is the greatest to ever play in the Premier League.
Sol Campbell thinks Vincent Kompany was better than Van Dijk, and that was a partnership that could have been seen at Man City for a season and a half; however, the Manchester club’s Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, was not keen on the Saints’ asking price.
During the Man City version of the Amazon Prime series, “All or Nothing,” Al Mubarak was heard being hesitant over Van Dijk’s transfer fee.
“Come on, you cannot be serious. Ultimately, if it makes sense for us we will do it,” the City Chairman said via ESPN. “If it doesn’t make sense, we are perfectly comfortable in walking away. To do that, there’s only a few clubs in the world that can do that.”
Man City went on to sign Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Club and have spent millions on defenders since, with the signing of Abdukodir Khusanov being the latest.
With Ruben Dias’ struggles at City this season highlighting how hard it is to be a centre-back in the Premier League, the decision not to go all in on Van Dijk continues to haunt the Manchester club to this day, as the Dutch star has helped Liverpool steal several trophies away from Guardiola.
The main reason Virgil van Dijk chose to join Liverpool
Although Man City made the decision not to throw everything at signing Van Dijk, that still may not have been enough, as the defender revealed that Jurgen Klopp was a big factor in his decision to move to Anfield in 2018.
“I had the chance to go to Chelsea and Man City,” Van Dijk said in 2020 via Manchester Evening News. “When you compare the clubs, you look at the history, the town, the current squad, their plans for the near future.
“But the most important thing you look at is the manager, and Jurgen Klopp is an important reason why I chose Liverpool.
Van Dijk is very close to Man City’s Nathan Ake and also De Bruyne, so there is a world where the centre-back would have been very happy at the Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool’s decision to continue with the 33-year-old until 2027 is not great news for Man City as it almost guarantees that Arne Slot’s team will be title contenders again next season.
