Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has warned his players about the potential dangers of leaving the club.
It has already been confirmed that Klopp will lose Mario Goetze to UEFA Champions League final opponents Bayern Munich at the end of the season, while Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels have also been linked with transfers away from the club.
However, Klopp has pointed to former player Shinji Kagawa as an example of what can happen when people choose to leave Dortmund.
The Japanese midfielder has not been a regular starter for Manchester United since moving to Old Trafford at the beginning of the season, with many of his appearances being out of position.
“Shinji Kagawa is one of the best players in the world and he now plays 20 minutes at Manchester United – on the left wing,” Klopp told The Guardian.
“My heart breaks. Really, I have tears in my eyes. Central midfield is Shinji’s best role. He’s an offensive midfielder with one of the best noses for goal I ever saw.
“But for most Japanese people it means more to play for Manchester United than Dortmund. We cried for 20 minutes, in each others’ arms, when he left.”
As well as causing a headache in terms of Klopp having to find a replacement, the Dortmund manager revealed that Goetze’s departure also left a number of his team-mates upset.
“I called six or seven players who I knew were damaged in the heart,” Klopp continued.
“They thought they were not good enough – and they wanted to win together. That’s the reason it hurt them so much.”
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