Ousmane Dembele has made a subtle hint that Liverpool tried to sign him last summer, with him going to Borussia Dortmund instead.
The 19-year-old has been a shining light in the Bundesliga since signing for Thomas Tuchel’s side, and it has now been revealed that many top European clubs wanted him while he was at Rennes.
Liverpool were just one of a few Premier League clubs who were tacking Dembele, who has scored seven goals in 14 games for the German giants so far this season.
The forward revealed that it was the amount of interest shown by Tuchel which persuaded him to choose Dortmund.
“There was interest from other clubs but I didn’t want to withdraw from our early agreement,” Dembele said.
“Tuchel spoke to me early. I had only scored two or three goals for Rennes back then, but he told me that he wanted to sign me.
“Tuchel always tells me to show what I’m capable of; my qualities, my driblling. I enjoy the freedom I’m given.
“Apart from some defensive duties, I’m given free reign on the wing. It’s great to receive the same trust as a 25-year-old.
“I can’t say I’m surprised that I settled in quickly. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raphael Guerreiro and the fantastic fans helped me a lot.”
Dembele also confirmed last month that current Premier league champions Leicester City were one of the English sides who wanted to sign him, before Rennes let him leave for a fee believed to be in the region of £12.75million.
By Drew Darbyshire (@DarbySports)
