Premier League moves could ruin De Bruyne, Firmino and Baba, says Matthaus

Kevin De Bruyne, Roberto Firmino and Baba Rahman have made mistakes in ditching the Bundesliga for the Premier League, according to Lothar Matthaus.

The trio made moves from Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim and Augsburg respectively this summer to join Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.

And former Bayern Munich and Germany star Matthaus believes the players are not guaranteed vital playing time at their new teams, which could hinder their development.

"Their agents only see the numbers that are being offered from the Premier League clubs," he told Bild. "Take [Shinji] Kagawa for example, who joined Man United as a top player from Borussia Dortmund and failed in the end, they forget quickly.

"For their bank account, it's a big change in pay, but in sporting terms it doesn't pay off.

"Whether a player like Baba plays or not doesn't matter to Chelsea in the end. At Augsburg, Baba was a regular player, in Mourinho's team, he is just a number among many.

"So it doesn't only threaten Baba or Firmino's careers, but also De Bruyne's."