Robert Lewandowski has recalled the difficulty he had when speaking with Sir Alex Ferguson about a potential move to Manchester United. The Polish striker had been linked with a move to Old Trafford for some time during his Borussia Dortmund days and has explained why such no such deal materialised before he ended up heading to Bayern Munich and then Barcelona.
GOAL runs through the best and worst of British players plying their trade on foreign soil. Now more than ever, British players are finding that the grass can be greener elsewhere. The lure of the Premier League remains grand, but it's not the be-all and end-all. In fact, some of the home nations' biggest stars have decided to take their talents abroad to the mainland continent and beyond.
Brentford have opened talks to sign highly-rated Borussia Dortmund left-back Almugera Kabar in a deal worth a reported €20 million. The U17 World Cup winner is struggling for game time in Germany, and the Bees are pushing for a permanent January transfer for a player they believe is physically ideal for the Premier League.
Kylian Mbappe has revealed that he could have taken a very different path in his career, with the Real Madrid forward admitting that Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig all made attempts to sign him while he was still at Monaco. The French superstar, who eventually joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, has now reflected on those early approaches.
Borussia Dortmund wanted to sign Jadon Sancho in the summer, but conceded there is 'no state, no sheikh, no billionaire' behind them to finance the move.
Borussia Dortmund sporting chief Sebastian Kehl has revealed just how brutal Chelsea were to deal with as he wrapped up a deal to sign Carney Chukwuemeka in a €20 million (£17m/$23m) move. Chukwuemeka, who spent last season on loan at Dortmund, was never likely to feature prominently in Chelsea’s long-term plans. But with the club seeking to keep their financial balance sheets in check, they refused to let him leave on the cheap.
The Champions League league phase draw has taken place and Trent Alexander-Arnold will face his former club after Real Madrid were drawn against Liverpool.