Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 9y

Montpellier's Lucas Barrios: I called Jurgen Klopp to offer Dortmund help

Lucas Barrios has revealed he offered his services to former boss Jurgen Klopp in December in a bid top to boost Borussia Dortmund's flagging Bundesliga season.

After arriving in Europe to join Dortmund in 2009, Barrios, 30, played an integral role in two Bundesliga title wins with the Ruhr Valley club, helping re-establish them as a force to rival Bayern Munich.

The Paraguay international then departed for China in 2012 before joining Spartak Moscow, and then moved to French side Montpellier on loan last summer.

But after struggling with just two goals in his first 13 appearances for Montpellier in Ligue 1, Barrios, 30, told beIN SPORTS he asked the club if he should leave before Christmas, and also called Klopp.

He said: "There were offers for me from Brazil, Germany, Dubai. I said to [Montpellier]: 'What do you want to do? Keep me or sell me?' I didn't want to cause a problem. I called Jurgen Klopp in December when Dortmund had big problems to tell him that I would be ready if the club needed me."

A run of four successive league victories has lifted Dortmund out of the Bundesliga relegation zone where they found themselves at the midway point of the season, and into the relative security of mid-table.

Barrios, too, has recovered his form since the turn of the year. The ex-Colo Colo striker has found the net five times in as many Ligue 1 games and provided two assists to help Montpellier ease into contention for a top-four finish and answer his own critics.

He added: "The criticism was normal as I have won a lot of trophies during my career, and there were big expectations when I came here. The first few months were difficult, but I never had any doubts.

"I don't want to leave. Right now, I feel I'm at 80 percent and I'm going to work hard in the coming months to get back to 100 percent. I want people to see the Lucas of Dortmund at Montpellier."

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