Former Celta Vigo manager Juan Carlos Unzue has told Marca that Stanislav Lobotka was subject to serious interest from Manchester City.
The 56-year-old Spaniard was the manager when the La Liga side took the midfielder from FC Nordsjælland in 2017. The latter made over 150 appearances for Celta Vigo before making a switch to Napoli in January 2020.
Lobotka has been a regular for the Serie A winners and will be in contention to face Barcelona in the Champions League later today. Ahead of this clash, Marca had a chat with Unzue and Óscar García, who also managed the 29-year-old at the Spanish club.
Unzue is of the belief the Slovakia international would have been a perfect fit for the Catalan club. When sharing his views, he revealed Manchester City’s interest in the player.
“The problem is the competition he would have had at the Camp Nou with Busquets. But I’m sure he would have suited Barcelona. I can also tell you that there was significant interest from Manchester City in him,” he said.
The Spaniard hasn’t specified when exactly Manchester City showed interest in the midfielder, and didn’t explain why Lobotka didn’t move to the Etihad.
Meanwhile, García believes the Slovakian wouldn’t have suited Barcelona.
“I see him as a footballer who stands out more in attack. It’s true that he has a low centre of gravity and can be intense and aggressive, but I like him more in attack. His first oriented control is very good,” García explained.
This season, Lobotka has made 38 appearances for the Naples club, where his deal lasts until 2027.
