Manchester City’s iconic manager, Pep Guardiola, is not known for dwelling on past decisions, but even he has now admitted that one particular transfer continues to haunt him.
In a surprising and candid confession, Guardiola revealed that allowing a player to leave for just £50 million was a significant error, made even more painful after seeing this former star outperform all of City’s current squad—including Rodri—in the latest Ballon d’Or rankings.
Guardiola, whose reputation for meticulous squad management and shrewd transfer dealings is well-established, rarely acknowledges mistakes in the market.
However, this time, he openly admitted to misjudging the potential of a player who has since blossomed into a world-class talent.
In a recent interview, Guardiola reportedly lamented:
“We let him go for just £50 million, and now he’s ranked higher than ALL our players in the Ballon d’Or, including Rodri. Selling him was my biggest mistake!”
The Transfer Decision That City Fans Now Question
At the time of the transfer, Manchester City believed they were making a sensible decision.
The club thought they could move forward without the player, convinced that their squad depth and quality could compensate for his departure.
Confident in their strategy, City accepted the offer, thinking it was good business.
Yet, what unfolded next was something neither the club nor Guardiola had anticipated.
The player in question went on to thrive under a different manager, who recognized his full potential and gave him the platform to shine.
Freed from the constraints of City’s tactical setup, the former star flourished, transforming into one of the best footballers in the world.
His incredible performances not only elevated his new club but also drew admiration from the global footballing community, earning him a spot higher than Rodri in the prestigious Ballon d’Or rankings.
For Manchester City fans, this has become a sore point. Many supporters now question why the club allowed such a talented individual to leave so easily.
The decision, once viewed as pragmatic, now appears shortsighted, especially with the player proving himself to be a generational talent who slipped through City’s fingers far too soon.
A Rare Mistake for Guardiola
For a manager who has constructed one of the most dominant and successful teams in modern football history, this transfer blunder could go down as one of Guardiola’s most regrettable decisions.
While Manchester City continues to achieve domestic success and remain a powerhouse in European football, watching a former player outperform their biggest stars on the global stage is undoubtedly a bitter pill to swallow.
Now, the burning question for City supporters and football analysts alike is whether Guardiola and Manchester City’s management team will ever make such a costly mistake again.
As they continue their pursuit of glory, this high-profile error serves as a cautionary tale—one that Guardiola himself seems unlikely to forget anytime soon.
