Man City Legend Admits Rejecting Inter Miami Move

David Beckham wanted one of the greatest ever Premier League midfielders in South Florida.

David Silva (left) and Kevin De Bruyne picked apart Premier League defenses during their time as teammates. / Rob Newell/CameraSport/Getty Images

Lionel Messi was the first world class player to join Inter Miami, but prior to that in 2020, legendary Manchester City midfielder David Silva turned down a move to the Herons.

The silky-smooth Spaniard spent 10 seasons with Manchester City where both himself and the club enjoyed enormous success. When it looked like he might leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of the 2019–20 season, David Beckham and Inter Miami came knocking.

“With all this talk about Miami now, I was the first [to receive an offer from Miami],” Silva said in the El Camino de Mario Podcast. “I met with Beckham in Manchester, but it was a bit early still, it was November [2019].

“I told him I couldn’t give him an answer at the time. But then then later I told him no, because I still wanted to compete in Europe. But yes, I think I was the first foreign player [to receive an offer from Miami].”

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Silva also revealed he turned down offers from Japan, Qatar and Dubai in favor of returning to Spain with Real Sociedad. Silva played the final three seasons of his career with La Real, securing the Copa Del Rey in 2021, which remains the last trophy the Basque club has lifted.

Instead, Gonzalo Higuaín soon became the most prominent player, at that stage, to wear Miami’s pink shirt, but the former Real Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea striker failed to leave a lasting mark.

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David Silva: Joining Man City Best Decision of My Career

David Silva won four Premier League titles with Manchester City. / Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images

After Silva won the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain, boyhood club Valencia was forced to sell the homegrown gem. There were plenty of suitors lined up, but Silva believes he found the perfect home at Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

“Who wouldn’t like to play for Barcelona or Real Madrid?” Silva said. “But the best decision of my career was joining City.

“I spent 10 spectacular years there. People treated me incredibly, we won 14 titles, the club was going [on an upwards trajectory]. And then, England has something different, I don’t know what it is but England has something different.

“People there, football is like a religion to them.”

Silva adapted to life in England quickly and played a key role in turning City into an undisputed Premier League powerhouse. He went on to win four Premier Leagues, five League Cups, two FA Cups and three Community Shields during his transformative decade in sky blue.

In total, Silva donned City’s shirt 436 times, scoring 77 goals and collecting 136 assists. He’s one of the greatest players in club history and his legacy lives on with a statue outside the Etihad.

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