MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER Pep Guardiola insisted the runaway Premier League leaders were never interested in signing Liverpool-bound defender Virgil van Dijk.
Van Dijk, 26, is set to head to Anfield from Southampton in January after the clubs agreed a deal reportedly worth £75 million.
He underwent a medical with Liverpool on Wednesday and, beyond becoming the most expensive defender in history, represents the club’s biggest outlay on a player.
The Netherlands international, who is set to earn £180,000 a week with the Reds, was linked to numerous clubs before Wednesday’s announcement, with City and Chelsea among them.
However, speaking after City’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United, Guardiola was asked if Van Dijk was a player he was looking at January.
“Nope,” the Spaniard responded. ”No, no, no”
Asked if he was interested in Van Dijk, Guardiola reiterated: “No.”
City are flying 15 points clear atop the Premier League, having won 19 of their 20 games, though the club find themselves shorthanded defensively following captain Vincent Kompany’s latest injury.
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