Bonucci reveals how tempted he was about leaving Juventus to play for Pep Guardiola

Manchester City were keen to sign Leonardo Bonucci during the peak of his performances at Juventus , with the defender tempted by the possibility of moving to the Premier League and working under Pep Guardiola. Despite the attraction of such an opportunity, Bonucci ultimately decided to remain with the Bianconeri.

At the time, Juventus were dominating Italian football and had reached the Champions League final twice in three seasons. Bonucci was one of the most important members of a defensive unit that made the Bianconeri one of the hardest teams for opponents to break down.

Guardiola admired Bonucci's style of play and wanted City to add the defender to their squad. The Citizens therefore made significant efforts to get a deal done, with one of the most important steps being to convince Bonucci that a move to England was the right decision.

Manchester City wanted to turn the defender's head and encourage him to ask Juventus to allow him to leave. However, the Bianconeri worked to prevent that from happening, while Bonucci ultimately remained committed to the club.

Bonucci has now revisited the period when Guardiola attempted to convince him to move to the Premier League. The Juventus defender acknowledged how difficult it was to ignore the opportunity when such a respected manager made contact with him.

The interest created a genuine dilemma for Bonucci, particularly because of his admiration for Guardiola's football. However, his connection with Juventus remained equally powerful and played a major role in his eventual decision.

Bonucci explained that Guardiola's preference for building from the back made the Manchester City manager particularly appealing. Speaking via Gianluca di Marzio , he recalled how the courtship developed.

"For my style of play, the coach who prefers playing from the back is Guardiola . So began a heated courtship that lasted for several weeks . When Guardiola calls you, it's not just any courtship. You start to falter, there was the European Championship in between and I had to stay focused, but even during the tournament there were moments of sharing."

He added: "For my part, the idea of ​​leaving Juventus made my heart tremble . Some days I would say to myself 'Wonderful, the Premier League, Guardiola,' the next day instead 'I've always dreamed of Juventus,' and I have to say that Alessandro Lucci helped me a lot in this."

Bonucci ultimately chose to follow his attachment to Juventus rather than pursue the opportunity in England. His comments show how difficult the decision was, despite the appeal of working with Guardiola and experiencing Premier League football.