Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed he was close to losing one of his key stars in the latest window, with the exit falling through due to a specific reason.
There were some big departures at City in the off-season, with the club saying goodbye Joao Cancelo and Julian Alvarez for a reported combined fee of €100 million (R1.9 billion).
Read: In Africa: Davids' victory run halted, Morena off to winning ways
During the window, it seemed another Citizens star could have left the club but this turned out not to be.
Goalkeeper Ederson was linked with a big move to Saudi Arabia, with Al Nassr and Al Ittihad both reportedly keen on his services and the player himself was understood to be eager to make the move.
In the end, though, the move never materialised, with Guardiola now revealing that the interested parties could not afford the Brazilian shot-stopper.
Speaking of the situation, the City boss expressed his relief of having Ederson for another season, and explained how he managed to retain the player's services after all.
"He is an important figure with our team," Guardiola said, according to GiveMeSport.
"We are lucky to have him and I hope he is happy.
"Eddy knows us really well and what we have to do. He knew from day one that I didn't want him to leave.
"The truth is the offer didn't come. The real offer.
"They make an offer but the keeper who won four Premier Leagues in a row, he has a value and a price. Otherwise he cannot leave.
"If the offer did come, maybe he should not be here. This is the truth.
"Ederson is so strong but when he changed his mind, in one second he said he is here and he is going to do his best."
Read: France coach 'shocked' to see Mbappe start for Real
The 31-year-old joined City in July 2017, and in 2021, he was given a contract extension that will see his deal run until June 2026, according to Transfermarkt.