Borussia Dortmund manager Nuri Sahin has admitted he held numerous conversations with Pascal Groß this summer to convince him to leave Brighton and Hove Albion.
The manager’s comments are relayed by journalist Florian Plettenberg, with Groß currently settling in at his new club after making the move this summer.
The German was considered a ‘crucial’ signing for Borussia Dortmund as they look to build on their run to the Champions League final last summer with a busy summer of reshaping the squad.
The midfielder is one of several new signings already, but Dortmund had to move quickly to get him as other sides in Germany were keen to take him back to the Bundesliga this summer.
A €7m deal with Brighton was eventually agreed and Groß officially joined on August 1st, bringing an end to a seven year stay with the Seagulls that saw him manage 32 goals and 52 assists in 261 games in total.
The player and club had formed a close bond over their time together, with Groß undoubtedly a fan favourite, particularly during the last two seasons under Roberto De Zerbi.
And Sahin admits it took plenty of conversations with the midfielder to convince him to leave that behind.
“I spoke with him on the phone very often,” Plettenberg reports him saying.
“For me, it was important that we get this type of player. I don’t care how old he is. He is a player we didn’t have in the squad.”
