Axel Witsel reveals he rejected Manchester United and Paris St. Germain in favour of Borussia Dortmund move

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Axel Witsel has revealed that he could have joined Manchester United or Paris St. Germain in 2017, but instead opted for a move to the Westfalenstadion.

Axel Witsel has been a target for some of the world’s biggest clubs throughout his career. But despite his exceptional quality and class in midfield, the Belgian international had never played in a top-five league until last season, when he joined Borussia Dortmund from Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian.

And now the midfielder has revealed that he came close to joining a number of big clubs over the course of his career, including Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United.

"Witsel told Goal/Spox, “I could have joined Real Madrid when Jose Mourinho was there,” Witsel said. “But then Real signed Luka Modric, so a transfer to Madrid made no sense to me."

Witsel started his career with Belgian side Standard Liege, before joining Benfica. He then moved to Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia, before signing for Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian in 2017. While at Zenit, Witsel had the chance to join Italian giants Juventus, but the move fell through at the last minute.

"“My contract with Zenit expired and I wanted to move to Turin to Juventus,” Witsel recalls. “I had already passed the medical check and actually only had to sign the contract. I waited all day in the office and Zenit told me to come back. In retrospect, that was perhaps a twist of fate. Maybe it was just not the right time.”"

The 30 year old decided to leave China after impressing at the FIFA World Cup last summer, and while he had a number of other offers, he decided to join Borussia Dortmund after being convinced by Michael Zorc and Lucien Favre.

"“First Michael Zorc approached me, then Lucien Favre called me. I also had other offers, maybe I could have gone to Paris or Manchester, but I did not want to wait. And I had the feeling that I was the first choice for Dortmund. It is important to feel good when you go to a new club.“So after the talks with Zorc, Favre and (CEO) Hans-Joachim Watzke, I decided to join BVB. Dortmund is a top club – and I really wanted to join a top European club.’“Maybe it was my last chance at 29 years old. It was the right decision.”"

After joining Borussia Dortmund, Witsel quickly established himself as a pivotal part of the team both on and off the pitch, becoming a real fan favourite in the process. Witsel’s performances have been vital to the Black and Yellows’ resurgence in the last 12 months, and he will be hoping to help his side win the Bundesliga title this season.

"“I’ve never been in a team with so many young, talented players. At the end of a title race, experience is very important – and Bayern simply had more of that. Now we are stronger thanks to the new players,” Witsel added."