Vfl Wolfsburg midfielder Yunus Malli has revealed that there was interest from Tottenham and many other clubs before he eventually moved to Wolfsburg.
Malli moved from Mainz to Wolfsburg in the January transfer window, but he was for long linked with a move away from Germany. The 25-year old Turkey international was born in Germany and has at several times in his career attracted attention from overseas.
Speaking to German magazine SportBild (h/t Sport Witness), Malli explained he’s grateful Wolfsburg have given him a chance, because he doesn’t feel he’s yet ready for a huge move.
When Malli was asked if he had requests from clubs such as Dortmund, Tottenham or Valencia in recent years, he replied:
“Yes, that’s true. In recent years, clubs from other categories have shown interest. This is not the case now. This shows me that I am still far from such top clubs. Wolfsburg is therefore a great opportunity.”
Malli has made 34 appearances this season overall and has scored 8 goals and has 9 assists to his name. It has been a good season for the 25-year old and he seems to be reaping the benefits of staying in the same league.
Primarily an attacking midfielder, Yunus is capable of playing a little deeper or even on the flanks. During his time at Mainz, he was used as a No.10 but ever since moving to Wolfsburg, he has been tested and tried at various positions.
He has played the last three matches for Wolfsburg on the left-wing and completed 90 minutes in all those games. It is quite clear that he is an important part of the plans at the club and that the manager is simply experimenting with the player before deciding on the best position on the pitch for the Turkish-born attacker.
Though there has been interest from abroad, it seems like the player has taken the right decision to stay in Germany as it looks like he is being valued at his new club.
It would be interesting to see if Mauricio Pochettino would move for Yunus Malli in the future, but as of now, it is one more player gone away from Tottenham’s target list.