Manchester City had €60m Hulk transfer bid rejected by Porto in 2011

Manchester City came remarkably close to signing Brazilian star Hulk from Porto in 2011, with the winger revealing that the Portuguese giants rejected a massive €60million (£51.9m) offer without even telling him.

Hulk was one of European football's most dangerous attacking players at the time and regularly attracted interest from England during his four-year spell with Porto.

However, after selling Radamel Falcao to Atletico Madrid, Porto decided they were under no financial pressure to sanction another major departure.

Hulk only discovered City's offer around a year later – and that revelation ultimately contributed to his decision to leave Porto.

Speaking to Brazilian legend Romário, Hulk revealed that Premier League opportunities regularly emerged during his time in Portugal.

"I spent four years at Porto and, in every transfer window, I had the possibility of moving to England," Hulk said. "But they always kept me and stressed that they didn't want to sell me."

Interest intensified following Porto's outstanding 2010/11 campaign.

They won the Europa League and completed an unbeaten domestic league season, with Hulk playing a significant role in their success.

Porto subsequently sold Falcao to Atletico Madrid before receiving City's enormous proposal for Hulk.

"Straight after that, they received an offer of €60m (£51.9m) from Manchester City to sell me and they didn't want to sell me," Hulk explained.

"The club said no because they'd just sold Falcao and didn't need to make any more money. I only found out about it later."

The size of City's proposal makes Porto's decision particularly striking.

A €60m transfer represented an enormous sum in 2011, but Porto had already generated significant income from Falcao's departure and instead prioritised keeping another of their biggest stars.

Hulk was unaware negotiations had even taken place.

That meant the Brazilian remained at Porto for another season without knowing that a potentially career-changing Premier League transfer had been available.

By the time he discovered what had happened, his perspective on remaining in Portugal had changed.

Hulk eventually left Porto for Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2012.

The Brazilian had received an offer to extend his Porto contract, but Zenit emerged with an alternative while the Russian transfer market remained open.

It was around this period that Hulk finally learned about City's previous approach.

"It was then that I found out about Manchester City's offer from the previous year and discovered they hadn't sold me to England," he said.

"So I thought it was time to leave. I was going to play in the Champions League and decided to try a different kind of football."

Discovering that Porto had blocked such a significant move without informing him therefore appears to have played a role in convincing Hulk that his time at the club should end.

Fifteen years after City's failed attempt to sign him, Hulk is remarkably still playing at the highest level in Brazilian football.

Now 40, the forward recently moved from Atlético Mineiro to Fluminense.

Since returning to Brazil at 35, Hulk has produced extraordinary numbers, recording 142 goals and 57 assists across 331 appearances.

His longevity adds another fascinating dimension to City's failed transfer. One of Europe's most explosive attackers could have become part of the club's emerging Premier League project more than a decade ago.

Hulk's revelation adds another major name to the list of players Manchester City pursued during the club's transformation into a Premier League powerhouse.

The transfer never materialised, but Porto's decision had consequences. Once Hulk discovered they had rejected a €60m opportunity without informing him, the prospect of remaining in Portugal became less attractive and he eventually chose a new challenge with Zenit.