Frenkie de Jong has explained that he chose Barcelona over Man City this summer because they 'showed him the most love.'
City were chasing a midfielder this past summer to add even more strength to their squad and provide much needed cover, competition and an eventual replacement for Fernandinho.
They had been on the hunt for a midfielder the previous summer and had missed out on a move for Jorginho, who instead joined Chelsea.
It was a familiar story at the start of this past transfer window, too, after City chased Ajax starlet De Jong but missed out on his signature.
De Jong had an amazing season with Ajax last term as they won the league and cup double and came within a whisker or making their first Champions League final since 1997.
His brilliant passing and game intelligence would have suited Pep Guardiola to the ground but it also earmarked him as a typical Barcelona player and the Catalonians swooped in to sign him for £60million.
"If it had not been Barcelona, it is hard for me to say now, but it would have had to have been PSG or Manchester City," the Dutchman told El Periodico when he was asked who he would have joined if Barcelona didn't come in.
"It is not good to talk about being motivated by money. Money is not my area - it was never a topic of discussion at meetings that I was at. That was my agent's business.
"My choice of Barcelona was because they were the club who showed me the most love.
"The first time I heard about Barça? It was in 2018. My agent called me to say: 'Barcelona has been interested in you, let's talk to them.' Listening to something like that makes you proud and flattered."
City did eventually managed to find their midfielder when they paid a record fee for Atletico Madrid's Rodri and the Spaniard has had a brilliant start to life at the Etihad, ensuring that City haven't missed out on not signing De Jong in the slightest.
