Bizarre transfer tale: Kovac urged Bayern not to sign BVB star | OneFootball

Of all people, Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac is said to have advised FC Bayern against signing a former BVB star. In hindsight, that advice may have turned out to be a real stroke of luck for the Munich club.

A remarkable transfer story has now come to light: of all people, BVB coach Niko Kovac is said to have advised FC Bayern last summer against signing then-Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens. As the Bayern Insider podcast reports, the Munich club looked closely at the Englishman after a move for Nico Williams failed to materialize.

While searching for an alternative on the wing, Gittens came onto the radar of sporting director Max Eberl. However, there were reportedly doubts within Bayern’s leadership about the attacking player. According to the report, Kovac was therefore contacted, as he was coaching the player at BVB at the time and knows the record champions very well from his spell as Bayern coach.

The Croat’s assessment was apparently clear. Kovac is said to have indicated that he did not consider Gittens professional enough to establish himself at FC Bayern in the long term. Bayern then decided against pursuing the Englishman any further.

BVB coach Kovac warned Bayern about Gittens

Instead, Bayern ultimately signed Luis Diaz from Liverpool FC. From the perspective of those in charge, that decision proved to be a bullseye. In his first season at Säbener Straße, the Colombian impressed with strong performances and quickly developed into an important pillar of the team.

Photo: IMAGO

Gittens, meanwhile, moved to Chelsea FC for around €56 million last summer. However, his first season in London was disappointing. Across all competitions, the 21-year-old managed just one goal and five assists in 27 competitive appearances. He was also hampered by a lengthy thigh injury that kept him out of action for several months.

In hindsight, FC Bayern are therefore likely quite pleased to have listened to Kovac’s advice. While Diaz hit the ground running in Munich, the hoped-for breakthrough for Gittens at Chelsea has so far failed to materialize.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.