Craig Bellamy has hinted that Manchester United were interested in signing him before he left Manchester City for Cardiff City.
Bellamy joined the Championship club on a season-long loan in August after being told he was surplus to requirements at Eastlands.
A host of Premier League clubs, including Tottenham and Newcastle United, were known to have been interested in the Wales forward.
However, Bellamy has now hinted at surprising interest from across Manchester.
"Garry Cook (City's chief executive) said to me it was the most phone calls he'd had on a player for a while," he told BBC Radio Five Live.
"He said 'You should take that as a big compliment' and I said 'Yeah, they all seem to want me apart from the club I'm actually at.'
"Tottenham wasn't going to get done and someone else came in above them as well which would have caused a few stirs.
"If I would have said I wanted to go there for one minute my life at Man City. Staying there would have really tough for the next couple of weeks.
"It would have been a miracle if it had come off. I sat down with my agent and we were realistic, do we hold out for it or do I go on?
"And I think because of the other club being interested I think Man City panicked as well and said 'you can go to Cardiff' and they pushed it through as quickly as possible."