Ilkay Gundogan

Gundogan reveals he snubbed 'lucrative offers' to stay at Dortmund

Published Jul. 6, 2015 7:13 a.m. ET

foxsports

Ilkay Gundogan says he turned down several offers to stay at Borussia Dortmund and has urged supporters not to believe the rumors that circulated around his future.

The 24-year-old seemed set to leave Signal Iduna Park in April when Dortmund announced that he had declined to agree a contract extension amid reports in Germany that a £21.5 million move to Manchester United was imminent.

Barcelona were also heavily linked with Gundogan but after changing his mind and signing a one-year extension last Wednesday, the Germany international admits he can understand the frustration of Dortmund fans, some of whom jeered him during a 17-0 victory during a charity game on Saturday.

"I believe that if I perform well and become a better player I can convince a lot of people," the Germany international told Bild. "Hopefully I can also convince the ones that are upset now.

"They are upset because they believed what was said in the newspapers. I would have believed that as well if I was an outsider. I can even understand why fans are whistling me now. The situation was painted wrongly to the public.

"But the club and myself know the truth. Both sides always confirmed that we treated each other honestly and fairly. I had lucrative offers that BVB knew of and I deliberately turned them down to stay."

Gundogan picked was ruled out of all of the 2013-14 season, having picked up an injury in his side's first league game of the campaign and was unable to help Dortmund achieve higher than their seventh-place Bundesliga finish last term in Jurgen Klopp's final year in charge.

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