One of the French top-flight’s exciting youngsters, Joris Gnagnon, has told to have rejected a move to Chelsea this summer. The prospectful centre-back was eyed by several big clubs around Europe, but none of the teams were able to lure the 20-year-old away from his current side Rennes.
Gnagnon said to have also got an exciting offer from German giants Borussia Dortmund, but the reason to turn them down was the same as it was with the Blues. Due to his young age Gnagnon needs regular playing time, and he feared to be unable to get that at such clubs, thus deciding to stay in his home country for at least one more season.
“It happened very quickly. Two years ago, I was in CFA [French amateur league]. I played my first season [at Rennes], then the second. I hear we’re talking about Chelsea and many other clubs, for sure it’s very flattering. I was happy.
It was really not easy to be honest [to ignore other clubs’ interest]. After that, I had to look the truth in the face, that is, if I went to Chelsea right away, I was not sure I would be playing. You’re going to Dortmund, you’re not sure you’re playing either. Whether I went to the right or left, I was not sure I was playing.
I weighed up the pros and cons with my entourage and my agent and we thought that it was better to do one more season at Rennes. It was not easy but we had to make a choice.”
– Joris Gnagnon, FootMercato (via Goal.com)
Chelsea had to sustain plenty of transfer setbacks during the late stages of the summer window. According to reports, Chelsea were ultimately turned down by the likes of Ross Barkley, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain and Fernando Llorente. It’s still fair to say we’re looking rather good without them!
