Bonucci: I was tempted by Guardiola's City project

Leonardo Bonucci has confessed he did "think a bit about" Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's overtures during the summer, but ultimately decided to stay at Juventus following discussions with his agent.

Reports stated that City was prepared to meet the Old Lady's £51-million valuation for the cultured defender - after an initial £38-million offer was spurned - but nothing materialised before the transfer window swung shut on Aug. 31.

Instead, City's first-choice defensive partnership appears to be John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi, while Massimiliano Allegri continues to flaunt his close-knit "BBC" of Andrea Barzagli, Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini in Turin.

"At the start, I did think a bit about it," Bonucci admitted to Gazzetta dello Sport, with translation from ESPN FC. "Guardiola's insistence did get me thinking, but I said no because I listened to my heart.

"I stayed here to aim for big objectives. I never spoke (with Guardiola). There was just an exchange of ideas with my agent."

Instead, Bonucci will continue etching his name into Juve folklore. The 29-year-old switched over from Bari in 2010, and has since collected seven major honours in black and white.

And his allegiances extend away from the pitch, where Bonucci and his son pit Juventus A and Juventus B against one another on computer games, "because as far as we are both concerned, no other club exists."

Bonucci will line up in the backline for Sunday's highly anticipated trip to hated rival Inter Milan.