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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
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Tom Gott

‘Why Not?’—Jamal Musiala Reveals Truth Behind Chelsea Exit

Jamal Musiala has blossomed into a superstar in Munich. | IMAGO/Revierfoto

Jamal Musiala has confirmed it was his decision to leave Chelsea for Bayern Munich as a 16-year-old in 2019.

Musiala was hailed as one of the hottest prospects in the English academy system as he came through at Chelsea in a team which also featured current Bayern teammate Michael Olise, with his exit from the Blues sparking a frenzy of online speculation.

Chelsea were accused of agreeing to sell Musiala, but the Bayern star has confirmed it was his decision to reject the offer of senior terms in favour of a return to Germany—a move which earned Chelsea just £170,000 ($230,000) in compensation.

“It wasn’t planned that we would leave England to go back to Germany,” Musiala told The Athletic. “I had just finished my school exams and I was enjoying being at Chelsea. But then Bayern came in and, again, it just felt right to try something new.

Jamal Musiala
Musiala has enjoyed plenty of success in Germany. | IMAGO/Sven Simon

“I knew how big Bayern were and, in the end, I just thought, ‘Why not? Take the chance—go for it, and let’s see if it works out’. I never try to think too much about what could go wrong in these moments. I’d much rather trust myself and go with the flow.”

Despite being powerless to prevent his exit, Musiala’s departure remains a sore subject for Chelsea, who have watched the attacking midfielder blossom into one of the world’s top midfielders. He made his Bundesliga debut less than 12 months after joining Bayern and has already racked up over 200 appearanes for the club.

Musiala has five Bundesliga titles under his belt to go alongside a 2019–20 Champions League triumph and, in the face of hugely speculative rumours of a possible return to the Premier League, inked a new five-year contract with Bayern earlier this year.

This summer yielded three goals in four appearances at the Club World Cup which, for Musiala, ended in gruesome circumstances as he suffered a nasty injury which is expected to keep him on the sidelines for several months.


READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE


This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Why Not?’—Jamal Musiala Reveals Truth Behind Chelsea Exit.

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