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Manchester City's latest addition Ferran Torres rejected the opportunity to move to Manchester United before agreeing a move to their rivals, as per reports in Spain.
The Spanish wonderkid was one of the most sought-after prospects in all of Europe after an impressive breakthrough at Valencia in LaLiga Santander. Given the economic crisis that they've faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Che have had to cash in on several of their star assets, including Torres.
With Manchester United also actively pursuing a winger in the market, Torres was reportedly on United's radar prior to his move.
Torres snubbed Manchester United in favour of Manchester City
As per Spanish outlet AS [via Daily Star], the 20-year-old star was convinced by Manchester City's sporting project and plan in comparison to that of their rivals, Manchester United.
The Cityzens, helmed by former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola, were keen on Torres as a replacement for the outgoing Leroy Sane, who eventually joined Bayern Munich. With just a year left on his deal, Manchester City ere able to sign him for a fee of £21m, representing excellent value for a player of his quality at his age.
Manchester United, who are openly in pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho, are still in talks with the club and hope to lower their staggering £108m valuation of the Englishman. The winger is said to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's priority target this summer and eyed Torres as an alternative to Sancho.
The report claims that Solskjaer's side initiated contact over a transfer this summer as a back-up option but the player himself was keen on playing under Guardiola.
Speaking on the move after he signed his Manchester City contract, Torres explained ManCity.com;
"I am so happy to be joining [Manchester] City. Every player wants to be involved in attacking teams and Manchester City are one of the most attacking teams in world football. Pep [Guardiola] encourages a really open, aggressive style, which I love, and he is a manager with a proven track record of improving players. To have him overseeing my development is a dream."
The Catalan is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the world when it comes to developing young talent. This is understandably one of the decisive factors behind Torres' move to City over rivals Manchester United.
With Torres already having joined Manchester City, the Red Devils are reportedly considering Real Madrid's Gareth Bale as an alternative target should they miss out on Sancho. The Englishman could be set to cost a British record fee and could be out of United's reach this summer.
However, they also face competition from Bale's former club Tottenham Hotspur, who are said to be keen on re-signing their star man on a short-term deal.
Also read: How Manchester United could line up in the 2020/21 campaign
