"If not, if you change every season, it is difficult to be consistent and difficult to build something stronger," kata Pereira.

Pihak manajemen klub dan tim pelatih sejatinya memiliki keselarasan visi untuk sebisa mungkin mempertahankan sebagian besar pemain utama mereka di tengah arus pasar transfer.

"We cannot control the market, of course, but I think we are aligned; what I think and what the club thinks is to try to keep most of them and to try to control the market," tutur Pereira.

Sejarah Rivalitas Transfer

Persaingan duo Manchester untuk Anderson ini menambah panjang sejarah rivalitas transfer kedua klub.

Salah satu contohnya adalah kasus Dimitar Berbatov pada 2008 yang akhirnya memilih pindah ke Old Trafford.

"I don't think it was that close, to be honest," ungkap Berbatov.

Ia menjelaskan bahwa agennya sempat mengabarkan adanya ketertarikan dari Manchester City yang baru saja diambil alih oleh Abu Dhabi United Group pada malam sebelum mereka mendatangkan Robinho.

"My agent told me about some interest but I said, 'Don't even bother mentioning anyone else, I'm going to Man United,' because of the history, the players, the tradition, everything," ucap Berbatov.

Mantan penyerang asal Bulgaria tersebut menegaskan bahwa keputusannya tidak didasari oleh tawaran uang yang lebih besar dari City.

"I think it was the night before City signed Robinho from Real Madrid and my agent said, 'Berba, there's another team in for you'.

I said, 'F*ck off, we're going to Man United'. He said, 'But they'll give you more money!'"