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Pep Guardiola reportedly had a three-hour meeting to convince Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham to join Manchester City last summer.
Bellingham has widely been touted as one of the signings of the season since joining Los Blancos from Borussia Dortmund for a reported €103 million. He has scored 20 goals and provided nine assists in 31 appearances across competitions for the Spanish giants.
The Englishman has already won the Supercopa de Espana with Real Madrid and they lead the La Liga table by seven points as well. They are set to take on Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
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However, if things had gone differently, Bellingham would've been lining up for City instead of Los Blancos in the tie. As per Cadena Sur, Guardiola was highly interested in signing the midfielder last summer when he was at Borussia Dortmund.
The Spaniard also had a three-hour meeting with him, trying to convince him to join his project. The Cityzens were also willing to offer Bellingham higher wages. But the 20-year-old decided to join Real Madrid instead, signing a six-year deal.
The midfielder has now gone on to become a key player in Carlo Ancelotti's side as they look to compete for La Liga and Champions League trophies. Aside from his goal contributions, Bellingham's leadership skills and versatility have been vital for Los Blancos. He has played different positions in midfield or as a second striker this season.
Manchester City to face Real Madrid in UCL for third year in a row
The two sides faced off in the last two seasons in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages, with each side winning once.
Real Madrid beat City 6-5 on aggregate in a thrilling semi-final encounter in the 2021-22 season en route to their 14th UCL trophy. Manchester City, meanwhile, beat Los Blancos 5-1 on aggregate in last season's semi-final en route to their historic treble triumph.
Overall, City hold a slight advantage in the head-to-head between the two sides. They have won four of their 10 encounters while Los Blancos have won three, with the remaining three ending in a draw.
Manchester City won all six of their group games and beat FC Copenhagen 6-2 on aggregate in the Round of 16. Real Madrid also won all six of their group games and beat RB Leipzig 2-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16.
