DBasia.news – A confession came from the mouth of Manchester City’s mainstay midfielder, Ilkay Gundogan. He admitted that he had caught the attention of Manchester United.
Manchester United’s interest arose when Gundogan was still playing for Borussia Dortmund. At that time, The Red Devils were on a mission to recruit Shinji Kagawa.
While defending Dortmund from 2011 to 2016, the German player really stood out. Gundogan appeared in 157 matches with 15 goals plus 20 assists.
“It’s true there was communication. I think about two or three years before joining Manchester City. Right when I was defending Borussia Dortmund,” said Gundogan as reported by Sky Sports.
“One of his team-mates, Shinji Kagawa, headed for Manchester United. Someone provided information that Man United watched the match live before signing Kagawa. Then, I caught their attention.”
However, Dortmund closed the door tightly for Manchester United. Dortmund only agreed to sell Gundogan in the summer of 2016 to Manchester City for a dowry of 27 million euros.
“The negotiations did not continue because Dortmund made it quite clear that they did not want to sell me. I also have a contract for a few years to go. So there is no point in negotiating it.”
Now, Ilkay Gundogan has achieved various successes with Manchester City. He won all titles in domestic competitions. One dream that hasn’t been achieved is to win the Champions League.
In addition, in terms of quality, Gundogan’s performance has also improved under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola. This season, Gundogan has performed well by packing 11 goals plus two assists in 19 Premier League matches.