Manchester United and Newcastle United showed interest in him last summer, but he chose Borussia Dortmund, who activated his €17.5 million release clause. Although an injury delayed his debut, he has excelled, scoring 24 goals in 34 matches, including 10 in the Champions League, ranking just behind Bayern’s Harry Kane and Barcelona’s Raphinha. He attributes his success to confidence and a shift in mindset rather than increased effort or analysis. He emphasizes that talent alone isn’t sufficient; success requires pushing through physical challenges and maintaining high-intensity performance consistently.
Last summer, Manchester United and Newcastle United were among the English clubs linked to him.
However, he opted to join Borussia Dortmund, who activated a release clause to secure his signature for 17.5 million euros (£14.7 million).
After an injury delayed his debut, he quickly became a key player, scoring 24 goals in 34 appearances.
Of those, ten have come in the Champions League during his inaugural season in Europe’s elite competition, where he has only been outscored by Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (10) and Barcelona’s Raphina (11).
“I realize that my performance might catch some off guard, but I’m not taken aback,” he mentioned recently., external
“I’ve experienced two extraordinary seasons, yet my approach hasn’t changed. I’m not training harder, sleeping more, or increasing video analysis.
“It ultimately boils down to confidence. I’ve realized that at the top level, raw talent alone is insufficient.
“You must overcome the pain barrier in challenges, exert more effort, and make high-intensity runs repeatedly, more quickly and more often than your rivals.
“Perhaps that is the source of the change.”