Leonardo Bonucci has revealed that Manchester City wanted to sign him last year, while also claiming that a “presumptuous” comment from Declan Rice inspired Italy to Euro 2020 glory.
Bonucci has spent his entire career to date in Italy, taking in spells with Viterbese, Inter, Genoa and Bari before joining Juventus in 2010.
The defender also played for AC Milan in 2017-18, but rejoined Juve at the end of a turbulent campaign at San Siro that saw him admit that he’d made a mistake in deciding to leave the Allianz Stadium.
Bonucci has also had several opportunities to head to the Premier League, with the 34-year-old claiming that he has been on Pep Guardiola’s radar at City for the best part of five years.
He concedes that his admiration for Guardiola almost led to a transfer to the Etihad Stadium coming to fruition at one stage, but also says he rejected the Catalan’s advances in 2020 with a view to making sure he goes down as a club legend at Juve.
“I had this dream of being coached by Pep,” Bonucci told The Athletic . “The closest we came was in 2016. I was on the brink of joining City. We were down to the very last details then Juventus decided not to sell.
“We decided to stay together. Then, when I went to AC Milan, I could have gone to City but several things had to fall into place for it to happen. I’d also given my word to Milan. Last year, I spoke to Pep again.
“He wanted me but I told him: ‘Juventus is my home. I’m happy here. I feel at home here’. I wanted to make up the ground I lost by going to Milan for a season.
“Becoming a symbol of Juventus again is the most exciting thing I could be doing in my career right now.”
