Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne admits he could have joined Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund before Chelsea exit
Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne recently claimed that he could have joined Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund before he departed from Premier League side Chelsea.
De Bruyne returned to Chelsea from a highly successful loan spell at Werder Bremen in the summer of 2013. The Belgian midfielder claimed he was then presented with another opportunity to return to the Bundesliga with Dortmund, who were managed by Klopp at the time.
In a recent interview with TNT Sports, he explained how then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho wanted to keep him at Stamford Bridge, saying:
"I signed for Chelsea knowing that I would be loaned out the first year and if I do really well we'll see what happens. I did the pre-season, went to Werder Bremen, had a really good year. In the summer it was a little bit of a toss-up, I could have went to Dortmund with Klopp at the time or stayed, and Jose wanted me to stay."
De Bruyne's time at Chelsea was not a successful one as he made only nine appearances for the club across all competitions. The Belgian midfielder called his old self 'impatient', but also noted his desire for regular first-team football.
"It just didn't work out, I was maybe just a little bit impatient at the time also, but I just wanted to play football," he said.
De Bruyne eventually moved to Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg in January 2014, where he established himself as one of the finest young midfielders in the world. He then signed for Manchester City in the summer of 2015 for a reported €76 million fee and has gone on to become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League's history.
The 32-year-old has bagged 98 goals and 165 assists in 369 games for the Cityzens.
Manchester City look set to beat Liverpool to wantaway Bayern Munich superstar
Manchester City look set to beat fellow Premier League giants Liverpool to the signing of wantaway Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich, according to Caught Offside.
Kimmich made the move to the Allianz Arena from fellow Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart in 2015. He has since become one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, known for his vision, incredible work-rate, and versatility.
The German midfielder has made 376 appearances for Bayern, scoring 41 goals and providing 100 assists. He has helped the team win a staggering eight league titles, three DFB-Pokals, and a Champions League.
Kimmich's contract with Bayern is set to expire in 2025 and is expected to make a move away from Bavaria in the summer.
As per the report, there has been no concrete interest from Liverpool and Barcelona, who are also reportedly in the running for the midfielder's services. However, Manchester City believe he can form a partnership with midfielder Rodri and could make a move in the summer.