An €8m signing from FC Nantes, Schalke midfielder Amine Harit has revealed in an exclusive interview to SportBild that he spoke to then Borussia Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembélé prior to his move to the Bundesliga.
The now Moroccos international has impressed during his early career at Schalke, playing in all nine of their Bundesliga fixtures this season.
Harit on picking Schalke over Bayern Munich… “It is true that Bayern wanted me. If such a big club calls, then of course you’re thinking hard about it. But then you also have to ask yourself, what is best for my development? I came to the conclusion that Schalke and this project fits me better. I saw the opportunity to feature in the first team here.”
Harit on the Bundesliga… “The Bundesliga is in my view the best league in the world for young players because it is very demanding technically, physically and tactically — the stadiums are always full too.”
Harit on speaking to Dembélé… “We have spoken in the past a lot about the Bundesliga when he was at Dortmund. He told me that it is a really good league for young players to develop. When I told him I’m going to Schalke, he was surprised – because Schalke’s a major rival of Borussia Dortmund.”
Harit on Schalke… “I have watched Schalke many times as a child in the Champions League with Raul and [Klaas-Jan] Huntelaar. The performances and the support from the fans impressed me.”
