Before Manchester City settled on purchasing Melbourne Heart, the cashed-up English Premier League club tried to buy Sydney FC last year.

City rocked the Australian football landscape on Thursday by claiming an 80 per cent stake in the expansion club, a deal that effectively transforms the A-League strugglers into one of nation's most powerful clubs. But the Heart were not City's first Australian choice and perhaps not even their second. Sydney FC chairman Scott Barlow revealed to Fairfax Media that he point-blank rejected the overtures of City's Abu Dhabi-based investors last year.

No interest: Sydney FC chairman Scott Barlow said no to Manchester City. Credit:Brendan Esposito

''It was flattering for us that Manchester City made an approach to us early last year to explore the possibility of buying into Sydney FC,'' Barlow said. "They outlined their plans to create a network of clubs in the world's most iconic cities.

''Their primary focus at the time was New York but Sydney was very much on their radar. I conveyed that we were by no means motivated sellers and that we were very committed to Sydney FC.''