Marlos Moreno has told Gol Caracol Benfica came close to signing him before he joined Manchester City. That was back in 2016, with the player moving from from Atlético Nacional.
The forward came through the ranks of Atlético Nacional’s academy. His rise there attracted interest from European clubs.
Benfica made advances to complete his signing before Manchester City entered with force to sign him. This sudden change meant the Eagles missed out on the player.
Moreno returned to the Colombian club in the summer window. He’s now spoken about the Primeira Liga’s efforts to acquire his signature.
This came when Gol Caracol asked how his move to Manchester City took shape.
The 29-year-old says he couldn’t have turned down an opportunity to join Pep Guardiola’s side and was overjoyed with the move.
“I was there meeting with a Portuguese player, Ricardo his name was, because they wanted to take me to Benfica,” he said.
“I was at home, about to sign with them. We had a meeting. They came looking for me, and just that night, the offer from Manchester City came in. If City calls you, who’s going to say no to that team? That day I cried with emotion, very grateful to God, for life, and with the hope of growing.”
The Colombian failed to make an appearance for Manchester City as they sent him out on loan to seven clubs between 2016 and 2022. He left the English club for ES Troyes AC and then had spells in Spain and Turkey before returning to South America in July.
Very nervous working with Manchester City’s stars
Manchester City first sent him on loan to Deportivo La Coruña and prior to that, he had trained with their first team, something the player still cherishes.
“Yes, I have photos with them. I was there for two or three months. Went through training, worked there… did some work with the first team and then with the U20s because obviously they wanted to loan me out, and I went to Deportivo La Coruña,” Moreno explained.
“I was very nervous seeing so many stars together. What a spectacle! I couldn’t contain my excitement, everything was impressive. The language was easy because everyone on the coaching staff spoke it. Several players like Agüero, Danilo, and Toure himself were fluent in Spanish. That helped me a lot; they made me feel good.”
