Bayern Munich midfielder Douglas Costa has revealed that he was convinced to turn down a potential move to Chelsea and sign for Bayern Munich because he thought that he could learn more from Pep Guardiola than from Jose Mourinho.
The 25-year-old signed for the German champions from Shakhtar Donetsk for a reported fee of €30m (£21.6m) in the summer transfer window and has made a promising start to life in Germany, scoring on his Bundesliga debut amongst five goals in 20 appearances.
Before he made the switch to the Allianz Arena he had been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea after speaking of his desire to move to the Premier League and work with Jose Mourinho, but he has now revealed that he chose Bayern because he felt Guardiola gave him the best chance to develop his game.
"Chelsea also wanted me," he told Bild. "There was great interest and they made great efforts, but I wanted to join Pep Guardiola by all means. And Bayern.
"It was a conscious decision in favour of Pep and Bayern because I was convinced that I can learn more here."
In addition to his two Bundesliga goals this season, Costa has provided 12 assists to help the side move eight points clear at the top of the league.
Tom Nightingale
