Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel says it was a relatively easy decision to turn down strong interest from Chelsea and it was never his ‘dream’ to play in the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca put his faith in Robert Sanchez as Chelsea’s first-choice ‘keeper at the start of last season, only for the Spaniard to lose his place midway through the campaign after a string of costly blunders.
And while Sanchez reclaimed the gloves thanks to a series of unconvincing performances from Filip Jorgensen, it’s understood the Blues are in the market for an upgrade this summer.
Kobel has long been in Chelsea sights and there had been contact between the two camps for ‘several months’ over a proposed deal to bring the 27-year-old Switzerland international to Stamford Bridge.
But it was widely reported last month that Kobel had decided to continue his stay with BVB after the club secured Champions League qualification with a fourth-placed finish in the Bundesliga.
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Bild claimed that Kobel’s entourage had informed Dortmund’s sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, that a move to west London was completely ‘off the table’, with the shot-stopper keen to remove any distractions ahead of the Club World Cup.
Now, in an interview with the German newspaper, Kobel has explained his reasons for ignoring Chelsea’s calls and instead opting to extend his spell at Westfalenstadion into a fifth year.
‘Everyone knows that I feel extremely comfortable in Dortmund,’ Kobel said.
‘I love the fans, the stadium, the club and the atmosphere.
‘Everyone knows that and sees it when I’m on the pitch. I really appreciate that.’
Asked if he had given up his ‘dream’ of playing in the Premier League, Kobel replied: ‘I can’t remember ever saying that this was my dream.’
Kobel, who is valued at around €60million (£51m) by Dortmund, played through the pain towards the end of last season as the club left it late to secure Germany’s final Champions League spot.
‘That’s true,’ the Swiss replied.
‘I had a torn ankle ligament, which we taped, and tonsillitis with a fever – antibiotics helped with that.’
Dortmund kick off their Club World Cup campaign against Fluminense this evening and Kobel is clearly relishing the chance to compete against a selection of the best teams from across the globe.
‘Sure, there are a lot of games every season right now and that’s really tough on the body,’ he said.
‘But the Club World Cup is a new experience and I’m looking forward to playing against teams from other continents.
‘We go everywhere to win – that has to be our goal.’
Kobel has not been the only goalkeeper on Chelsea’s radar, with Mike Maignan appearing destined for a move to Stamford Bridge this summer.
But Chelsea’s reluctance to cough up the required £21m to sign the France international from AC Milan has put the proposed move for the France international in serious doubt.
‘The goalkeeper situation is simple: Robert is No.1, Filip is No.2 and we will analyse and judge [Mike] Penders,’ Maresca told reporters ahead of Chelsea’s Club World Cup win over Los Angeles FC.
‘Maignan and different players at others clubs… I don’t think it is worth talking about them.’
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