I received offers from two different clubs at the same time.
It was the 2017/18 season, when we set the 100-points Premier League record with Manchester City. One was from the First Division in Spain, and the other was from the Persian Gulf.
But I turned both down, for different reasons. I thought it wasn’t the right time.
At that point, Pep Guardiola and I were ready to set off for the pre-season that was starting in the United States. A few days before he flew out with the squad, he called me to say Patrick Vieira was about to leave New York City. He had taken charge of Nice, so New York were looking for a new coach.
“If you want it, this may be another option,” he said. “You’ll like the city. It’s the perfect place to live. Think about it”.
I had appreciated receiving the previous offers and I felt very proud that they’d wanted to have me, but this time it was New York. It was, undoubtedly, a very tempting offer.
It did get me thinking about it. I started watching some of their games to assess their level in MLS. I noticed they had some technically skilful players who would fit with my style. Positional play, a passing game, trying to overcome the opposition by being dominant on the ball.