Ilkay Gundogan has admitted Manchester United were interested in signing him years before he joined Manchester City. Five years after arriving in the city, Gundogan is enjoying his finest campaign yet for City, with 13 goals and three assists to his name in all competitions. Gundogan has now revealed that United were interested in him, but said the move never transpired as Dortmund were unwilling to sell at the time.
Ilkay Gundogan said: “It’s kind of true, there were talks. I think that was at least two or three years before I joined City when I was playing at Borussia Dortmund. One team-mate of mine, Shinji Kagawa, went to Man United and someone told me they came to a few games to watch him before they bought him. Then I took their attention but it never really went into advanced talks because Borussia Dortmund made quite early clear that they are not willing to sell me. I had also a few years left on my contract so there was not really a point to talk to anyone at that moment. So yeah in the end it didn’t happen.”
Moving to the blue half of Manchester – instead of the red – has definitely paid off for Gundogan, who looks almost certain to add yet another Premier League winner’s medal to his collection in May. The 30-year-old has no regrets whatsoever about the way things played out.
Ilkay Gundogan added: “I’m very happy [to have joined City in the end]. I believe that everything happens for a reason. If I could change anything in my career, I wouldn’t. I’m just proud of where I came to and I’m really enjoying my time here. At the end, we all live for these kinds of rivalries in the city. So I also appreciate what Manchester United has done over the last few years and I enjoy playing against them, enjoy being in the same city as them because that’s what football is about.”
