Speaking to the press ahead of the Manchester Derby on Sunday, City manager Pep Guardiola said his club were never interested in signing Bruno Fernandes.

The 25-year-old joined Manchester United this January from Sporting Benfica, and so far it seems he has hit the ground running. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team looks much better with the Portuguese attacking midfielder on the pitch. But before the transfer happened, there were reports suggesting City were in the race too with Guardiola looking for a long-term successor for David Silva, who will leave the club when his contract expires this summer.

However, Guardiola rubbished those claims. He said he’s aware that his club are being linked with a large number of players all the time and suggested that agents possibly create these stories, but he is adamant that City were never in the running for Fernandes. There was no contact whatsoever between the Premier League champions and Fernandes’ representatives.