The food is bad, frequent rain and gloomy weather often cause many stars to quickly leave Man Utd and Man City, despite being two of the top clubs in the world.

Dani Alves was ready to join Manchester City in the summer of 2017. He was excited to reunite with his former coach Pep Guardiola, even having lunch with him to discuss the new season.

The Brazilian star also persuaded Juventus to terminate his contract early so he could quickly join Man City. Everything was set for the deal ‘Here we go’. But then, Alves ‘made a U-turn’, signing a contract with Paris Saint-Germain and infuriating Guardiola.

The reason? At that time, Alves’s wife, Joana Sanz, didn’t want to live in Manchester. She preferred to live in the ‘City of Light’ instead of moving to the industrial city of England.

Angel Di Maria, Carlos Tevez, and Nolito were also stars who were ‘fed up to the neck’ with the city of Manchester. Most recently, Ilkay Gundogan left Man City to join Barcelona, reportedly because he wanted a change of living environment and to move to a warmer place.

With the transfer window in full swing, many players coming and going in both Manchester clubs, GOAL went to find out the reasons why foreign players don’t like living in this city.

Refusing to join the club because of the city was ‘a mistake’

The support staff assisting players ‘settling in’ at their new clubs shared with GOAL that the status of Manchester City and Manchester United is among the top in the world. Therefore, the majority of players overcome concerns about living in Manchester to wear the blue and red half of the city.

“There’s not a single player I know who wouldn’t want to come to City or United. They’re big clubs, so big that players overlook any worries about life off the pitch,” a GOAL source revealed.

“These two clubs are in the top 5 leading teams in the world. Rejecting them just because of the city of Manchester would be a mistake.”

“All players want to come to England, it’s the top league in the world. I don’t think the city is the decisive factor in a transfer deal. Whether the city is beautiful or not doesn’t matter. Players mainly stay home and focus on playing football.”

“If you ask Haaland or Grealish, they would be very happy with this city. They just won the treble. I don’t think the city is an important factor for young players.”

‘Can’t compare Manchester with Barcelona’

But for players like Alves and Di Maria, who have already become superstars and won the Champions League before, factors outside the pitch matter more. This is also true for Gundogan, who has spent seven years at Man City and just helped the club win the treble.

“If you’re young and starting your career, no one would refuse to go to United or City because of the city,” a GOAL source added. “But Gundogan has won all the titles and been in Manchester for 7 years. He wants new challenges. Once you’re a champion, there’s no reason to stay in a place with gloomy skies and no good sushi.”

“Then, the city becomes a factor for a player to consider whether to move or not. You can’t compare Manchester to a place like Barcelona. There, the food is amazing, it’s sunny all day, and there’s even a beach. Who wouldn’t want to live there? No city in the UK can provide you with such an experience.”

“I don’t think Manchester is an ugly city. But in terms of cuisine, that’s the downside of this city. Although the situation has improved, Manchester cannot be compared to Paris, Barcelona, or even London.”

Lack of good food in Manchester!

The lack of good food in Manchester is a common complaint among the wives and girlfriends of many players. Di Maria’s wife described the food in the city as “awful” when her husband played for Man Utd in the 2014-2015 season.

David de Gea’s newlywed wife, Edurne Garcia, doesn’t even live full-time in Manchester despite the Spanish goalkeeper moving to Old Trafford in 2011. She mentioned that the couple struggled to find good eateries in Manchester. Even the supposedly best restaurants there couldn’t compare to those in Spain.

Similarly, Gundogan’s wife, Sara Arfaoui, complained about the lack of quality restaurants last year. “I’ve tried hard to find a good restaurant, but the food here is too bad. Maybe London has good restaurants, but Manchester doesn’t. It’s regrettable to admit it,” she expressed.

Nolito obsession with gray skies

The heavy rains and gloomy skies of Manchester have been the subject of many jokes. However, in reality, the city ranks only 16th in terms of rainfall in Europe. Milan, Munich, and Lyon all have higher rainfall, yet the weather is rarely cited as a reason for rejecting clubs like AC Milan, Inter, Lyon, or Bayern Munich.

Former Man City winger Nolito once complained about the lack of sunlight in Manchester, which caused his daughter’s skin color to change. She seemed to have “lived in a cave” and was prescribed additional vitamin D by a doctor.

Nolito joined Man City from Celta Vigo, the rainiest city in Spain with an average rainfall of 5.8mm per day compared to 3.2mm in Manchester. Therefore, rain and wind were quite normal for him. However, the forward had issues with Manchester winters.

He shared with The Guardian: “We couldn’t adapt. By 5 pm, it was already dusk, and by 6 pm, it felt like 10 pm. I started feeling tired and thought, ‘Wow, it’s only 6 pm!'”

Legends are also lonely!

Nolito didn’t have much time to adapt to life in Manchester as he only played for Man City for one season before returning to Spain to join Sevilla. Meanwhile, Sergio Aguero spent a decade with Man City, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer with 275 goals, winning five Premier League titles, six League Cups, one FA Cup, and three FA Community Shields.

Despite being adored by Man City fans, the Argentine forward seemed to struggle to integrate into the local culture. In the documentary series “All or Nothing” released in 2018, Aguero mentioned feeling lonely, spending much of his free time alone except when his son and siblings visited.

Aguero also struggled with English and in the Champions League final broadcasted on BT Sport, the former forward spoke in Spanish, with Cesc Fabregas acting as his interpreter.

Tevez: ‘Manchester has nothing’

However, Aguero has never complained about life in Manchester, unlike his compatriot Carlos Tevez. The former striker played for both Man Utd and Man City. He became the ‘black sheep’ at Etihad in the 2011-2012 season when he refused to come off the bench in the match against Bayern in the Champions League.

This wasn’t the only incident that angered Man City fans. In 2011, after living in Manchester for four years, Tevez stated that the city was “nothing” and admitted that he hadn’t made any new friends since moving there.

“I will never return, even on vacation, not for anything,” he added.

Hated Manchester before moving there

Another Argentine player who found it difficult to enjoy life in Manchester was Di Maria – the midfielder who arrived at Man Utd with a record transfer fee in 2014. But just after a year, he departed due to conflicts with manager Louis van Gaal.

Di Maria’s house was once burglarized. His wife, Jorgelina Cardoso, admitted to hating Manchester even before they moved there. “I am a friend of Gianinna Maradona, who married Aguero. We flew from Madrid to his house in Manchester when Di Maria was given time off by Real,” Jorgelina recounted.

“It was all awful! When we left, I told Di Maria, ‘Go anywhere but England.’ Yet, a year later, we arrived in Manchester, and it was truly awful.”

Mata is attached to Manchester because of art

On the contrary, there are also some foreign players who enjoy living in Manchester, with the most prominent example being Juan Mata – the midfielder who joined Man Utd in 2014.

The Spanish player began blogging about his experiences when he was in London. Upon arriving in Manchester, Mata spoke highly of the city’s exhibitions, art, and architecture.

Even after moving to Galatasaray in 2022, Mata still maintains a connection with the city. The 35-year-old midfielder returned to Manchester to launch an art exhibition titled “The Trequartista: Art and Football United,” showcasing an artwork performed alongside German artist Tino Sehgal.

“Manchester is my home, and I have many people I know here. I’m sure they’re delighted to see me back. Personally, I’m looking forward to visiting many friends. It’s a wonderful city!” Mata told the Manchester Evening News.

Kompany became Manchester’s ‘son-in-law’

Vincent Kompany, another foreign champion of Manchester, stands out.

The former captain of Man City has led numerous campaigns against homelessness in the city, launching his charity organization, Tackle4MCR, to raise funds and awareness for the community.

He has been praised by Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Manchester. Kompany also married Carla Higg, a Manchester native and loyal Man City supporter.