Pep Guardiola tried in vain to persuade Vincent Kompany to spend one more season with Manchester City.
Kompany ended an 11-year association with the club by captaining them to an unprecedented domestic treble in England last season.
The 33-year-old Belgium defender netted an unforgettable long-range effort to seal a pivotal 1-0 win over Leicester City in what would prove to be his final competitive appearance at the Etihad Stadium, with Guardiola s men going on to pip Liverpool to the Premier League title by a point.
It has been a different story this time around, with City falling way off the pace set by the Reds.
Their defence has been shaky in the injury absence of Aymeric Laporte and, if Guardiola had his way, Kompany would still be an option for him …