Bonucci turned down prominent club outside Italy twice

The storied career of Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci largely unfolded in Italy, with only a brief stint abroad toward its end. However, the player, who retired last summer, could have ventured into a foreign league earlier.

Details: Bonucci himself revealed that Manchester City expressed interest in signing him multiple times, even offering a lucrative deal. Yet, he declined, as he was reluctant to leave Juventus and, more broadly, Italy.

Quote: "I was always straightforward and honest — that was the case in 2016 and again in 2017, when I joined Milan. In 2016, I didn’t go to Man City because Juventus would never have sold me, and I was happy there. In 2017, Montella and Mirabelli called and offered me the Milan captaincy. I didn’t want to go abroad and had already given Milan the green light when PSG and Manchester City reached out," Bonucci told Sky Sports Italia.

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