Geoffrey Kondogbia claims Milan offered him more money than Inter, but denies he ever agreed to join the Rossoneri.
The midfielder was the subject of a bidding war between the two clubs this summer, eventually joining the Nerazzurri in a €40m deal.
“The truth is that I spoke to Milan, but never in my life have I said yes to [Milan CEO] Adriano Galliani,” Kondogbia told L’Equipe.
Geoffrey Kondogbia claims Milan offered him more money than Inter, but denies he ever agreed to join the Rossoneri.
The midfielder was the subject of a bidding war between the two clubs this summer, eventually joining the Nerazzurri in a €40m deal.
“The truth is that I spoke to Milan, but never in my life have I said yes to [Milan CEO] Adriano Galliani,” Kondogbia told L’Equipe.
“The Rossoneri offered me more, but [Inter Coach Roberto] Mancini made a difference. The two clubs know what happened, and they know what they offered me.
“Milan know that their offer was better financially, but I didn’t make my choice based on that.”
The 22-year-old then praised Mancini further, while revealing he also spoke to Partice Evra of Juventus.
“The Coach was a big factor in my choice, more than 50 per cent. He told me what I wanted to hear.
“A lot of players have ended up at the wrong club, because they haven’t spoken with the Coach, and haven’t had that bond. I had that, and it played a key role.
“I also spoke to Partice Evra, thought not specifically about Inter. His view was very important to me, he made me realise that once you’ve tried Serie A, nothing will impress you more.
“He also told me that it would help me to improve in every sense. The training is harder in Italy, and as a result everything else becomes easier.
“A lot of players were in Italy and then tore things up in other Leagues like [Zinedine] Zidane or [Thierry] Henry.
“If you take [Juventus’ Paul] Pogba as an example, you can see that if you move elsewhere then you’ll adapt.”
image via @inter