Manchester City cult hero reveals rejecting Atletico Madrid in favour of Etihad Stadium transfer | OneFootball

One of the more recent fan favourites at the Etihad Stadium has revealed rejecting Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in favour of a move to Manchester City.

That is non-other than Alvaro Negredo, who despite playing just one full season under Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City, is fondly remembered for the integral role he played en route to winning the 2013/14 Premier League title.

The former Spain international formed a strong striking partnership with Sergio Aguero in attack for Manchester City, alongside supporting roles from the likes of Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic in the armoury.

Owing to an injury problem, Negredo would leave the Etihad Stadium in the summer market of 2014 via a loan switch to Valencia, in a deal that included a €27 million option to buy in favour of the Spanish club.

But the striker’s career could have panned out very differently had Manchester City been beaten to his signature by one of Spain’s biggest clubs in the summer window of 2013, the player himself has revealed.

Speaking as part of a new conversation with El Partidazo de Cope‘s Juanma Castaño, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, the Etihad Stadium cult hero revealed rejecting Atletico Madrid in favour of the Premier League side.

“I was on the verge of signing for Atlético Madrid when I left Sevilla, but I ended up going to Manchester City,” Negredo revealed during the interview.

The recently-retired Spanish striker continued, “The offer was good, but in the end, it didn’t come to fruition.”

Alvaro Negredo would leave his Manchester City playing career with two major trophies to his name in the Premier League title and League Cup – both of which were claimed in the same campaign under Manuel Pellegrini.

In his 49 appearances registered for the club across all competitions, Negredo would score 23 goals while winning 34 of those outings in a stellar season for the team as a whole, while also recording some memorable moments along the way both individually and collectively.