Jack Grealish revealed how close he came to joining Manchester United in 2020 before his £100million move from Aston Villa to Manchester City this summer.
Grealish could return to his boyhood club for the first time tonight, but spoke about how he nearly turned out for the red side of Manchester in a fascinating interview with the Daily Telegraph.
"I was really close to going, but nothing happened in the end," he said.
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"We played United in a pre-season game on Saturday and I wasn't supposed to play in a cup game at Burton.
"But after the United game I said to Christian Purslow [Aston Villa's chief executive] and my agent 'if I'm not leaving, I'll sign my new contract'.
"I went in with my dog on Tuesday morning, signed the deal, and played later that day. We all agreed on the clause and if any team hit that, it's a win-win because it means I've had an unbelievable season and Villa got £100 million."
The 26-year-old has scored two goals and registered three assists in 15 appearances since making the switch to the Etihad Stadium.
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He missed City's last two matches against Everton and West Ham United after picking up a knock while on international duty with England last month.
Grealish is unlikely to start tonight's match at Villa Park, but may make an appearance from the bench against his former team.
Pep Guardiola's side will be targeting three points to keep pace with Chelsea and Liverpool, in what is turning into an enthralling Premier League title race.
City are currently sandwiched in between both clubs in second place with 29 points from 13 games - one behind league leaders Chelsea and one ahead of third-place Liverpool.
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All three teams are in action tonight, as Thomas Tuchel's men travel to Watford, while the Reds play a Merseyside derby away at Everton.
Topics: Manchester City, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Pep Guardiola, Jack Grealish, Premier League