Ex-Manchester United forward Nani has revealed he urged Bruno Fernandes to reject a move to Manchester City prior to his switch to Manchester United in the January transfer window.
United paid €55million to lure the playmaker from Sporting Lisbon in January after a long-winded transfer saga.
Fernandes had been linked with a move to City and Barcelona before the switch but Pep Guardiola claimed the 25-year-old wasn't a target for the Blues.
The Portugal international has hit the ground running in England, scoring three goals and creating two in his first seven games, and has been praised by United greats such as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
Nani - who also made the switch from Sporting to United - had no doubt his former teammate would be a success at Old Trafford.
"That moment I was playing with him, I saw so much quality and so much potential in that player," Nani told Goal .
"One day in a conversation with him I just motivated him to train a little bit harder because that was the only thing that he needed in that moment for him to compete at the high level in the Premier League or Spain or a different league.
"My advice, at that time, I told him that the best move for him was to go to England because his style of game is the one they appreciate a lot and he will score beautiful goals as he liked to do with shooting from long range and making the fans crazy."
Fernandes will have his first taste of a Manchester derby this weekend when United welcome City to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Nani has revealed he urged the midfielder to reject a move to City when the rumours emerged over his future.
He said: "As soon as I saw the news, the possibilities, I told him, ‘Don’t choose Manchester City, don’t choose any other team. You choose Man United!’
"After a couple of months, he moved to Manchester United and I was so, so happy because that advice and his choice were matching.
"It was beautiful because the moment I saw him play there, being the best player, scoring goals. It’s nice when it works like that."
