Borussia Dortmund invest heavily in the future of their squad and pay agents huge sums to bring in top young talent, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final against the Germans.
Dortmund have recruited some of Europe’s best youngsters such as Norway star Erling Haaland from RB Salzburg, striker Jadon Sancho from Manchester City and midfielder Jude Bellingham from Birmingham City.
Guardiola’s comments come after Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola met La Liga clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid last week to discuss a potential move.
“If any one person in the city of Manchester knows Borussia Dortmund, it’s me,” Guardiola said. “About the culture of that club, the way they play. I will not find one single player at Dortmund without quality.
“They spent a lot of money on young players and pay a lot of money to agents to bring these players there because they have an incredible quality.”
Haaland was linked with a move to City after Sergio Aguero announced he would leave the Etihad club at the end of the season, but Guardiola has cooled speculation by saying they were unlikely to prioritise a new striker.
Meanwhile, Dortmund’s teenage striker Youssoufa Moukoko has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a ligament injury, the club said on Monday.
Moukoko is the youngest player to score in the Bundesliga after netting in December against Union Berlin at the age of 16.
He injured his leg in the last training session with Germany’s Under-21 squad last month ahead of the Under-21 European Championship and was initially expected to recover in a few days.
Moukoko’s absence is a blow for Dortmund, who are at risk of missing out on Champions League football next season following Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt that left them fifth in the Bundesliga, seven points off fourth place with seven games left. Moukoko is also the youngest player to play in the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
