Owen Coyle says Manchester City could've beaten Chelsea to the signing of his former Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill.
Three years ago Cahill, then at Bolton, was subject of a £17.5million offer from the Premier League champions, with Dedryck Boyata going in the opposite direction.
But according to his former boss Coyle, City opted against spending that much on the central defender, who Chelsea then went on to sign for half the price.
"The summer before he moved to Chelsea, Manchester City came in and offered £17 million and a player. That was going to be a huge deal. Obviously, something happened, so he stayed on at Bolton and it never materialised," he said.
"Come the following January in 2012, when it was Chelsea who came in, it was the right thing for him, no doubt.
"They got absolutely got a bargain at £7million. We were at the wrong end of the table and caught up in a battle but I'd always said we would do right by him and give him his chance."
