DE BRUYNE: MOURINHO STOPPED ME FROM JOINING KLOPP AT DORTMUND

By -

Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne revealed Jose Mourinho talked him out of a move to sign for Borussia Dortmund while he was still with Chelsea.

Jurgen Klopp had attempted to sign him in the summer of 2013 but the Blues' rejected the overtures of the German side, with Mourinho promising the talented youngster more playing time after he had returned from an excellent loan spell at Werder Bremen.

However, the Belgian failed to break into the Portuguese's first-team plans and was sold to Wolfsburg the following January, where he was named Bundesliga Player of the Year last season before earning a €74 million transfer to Premier League big-spenders Manchester City.

De Bruyne will face Klopp when his Liverpool side visit Etihad Stadium on Saturday, and the 24-year-old has spoken of his admiration for the new Reds' manager.

“I had a personal agreement [with Klopp],” De Bruyne told The Telegraph. “I asked the club [Chelsea] to go because I had a good feeling about Dortmund at the time. I had been good in Germany and he [Klopp] really wanted me because [Mario] Gotze went to Bayern Munich.

"He called me, and said ‘You will be the No 1’ at a team who had been second in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League final.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Barcelona's Neymar: I don't watch much of Real Madrid games

By -
Image
Barcelona forward Neymar says he cannot give an opinion on Real Madrid -- as he rarely watches them play. Neymar, 23, has been in outstanding form of late, helping to keep Barca neck-and-neck with Madrid at the top of the Primera Division table -- Rafa Benitez's side are ahead on goal difference -- even with Lionel Messi out injured. Asked for his thoughts on Los Blancos ahead of the Clasico at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Nov. 21, the Brazil captain told beIN SPORTS ESPANA that it was difficult to answer as he almost never watched other teams in action. "I hope we can enjoy many years together, with Messi and Luis Suarez, and in our best form," he said. "I do not know if we are the best but we are doing a good job. We have a great friendship on and off the pitch, and that helps a lot. "I knew how Barcelona played [before joining] and I loved their way of playing and the players the club had. I knew Leo was there. He is the best, and ...
Read more

We need to keep working – Daniel Carvajal

By -
Image
“It’s always good to be top of the table, but we have to carry on and keep on winning games to be champions come May. We knew about Barcelona’s half-time score and that it was a golden opportunity to take top spot. It’s an added source of motivation to get out there and play,” the 23-year-old commented. He went on to discuss his own form and how important this season is for him with one eye on getting into the Spain squad for next summer’s European Championships. “I try to repay the coach’s confidence in me by playing well. I hope that Danilo recovers soon and that when he’s back we make it hard for Benítez, and that it’s the team that benefits the most. For me, this year is the most important and the year with the most challenges in my career, with stiff competition at club and international level, and with the Euros in the summer. It’s a year to stand up and be counted,” he stated.
Read more

Arsenal are ready to meet Nolito’s Celta Vigo release clause of £12.6 million and are in pole position to land the Spaniard in January, according to The Telegraph.

By -
Image
The gifted attacker has been a standout player in La Liga for the over-achieving side and has been heavily linked with a move back to former club Barcelona. However, the Gunners are also thought to be keeping a close eye on the 29-year-old, who has forced his way into Vicente del Bosque’s star-studded Spain squad. The latest report suggests that Celta would prefer to sell Nolito to a foreign club over a domestic rival, which gives Arsenal an excellent opportunity to land him in January. Arsene Wenger’s men are reportedly ready to splash £12.6 million on the former Benfica star, who can play as a central striker or on the wing. The Emirates Stadium faithful have urged the club to sign a new striker in January to boost their Premier League title ambitions.
Read more