Setting the course in Dortmund
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The season is more or less over for Borussia Dortmund after the 2-3 home defeat in the top game against FC Bayern. In the championship, the DFB Cup and the Champions League, the titles are awarded to other clubs – so the coming weeks will focus on personnel planning for the near future. One of the personal details to be discussed is that of captain Emre Can, whose contract ends next summer. After the confirmed cruciate ligament tear and the resulting months-long break, the 32-year-old should continue with the black and yellow team. According to “Bild”, the BVB bosses want to offer Can a new working paper.
It is said that after the knee operation, concrete negotiations about the extension will begin with the veteran. It is reported that the Dortmund team around sports director Lars Ricken and sports director Sebastian Kehl do not want to leave Can, who earns around 8.5 million euros in annual salary, alone after the devastating diagnosis. Therefore, a new one-year contract with reduced salaries is being discussed. “Emre will receive every support from us in the next few months so that he can get completely healthy again,” Kehl said recently. It remains to be seen whether Can will retain the captain’s armband in the event of an extension.
Meanwhile, central defender Nico Schlotterbeck should be clear by mid-March whether he wants to extend his contract, which expires in 2027, or take on a new challenge. Shortly before this deadline, according to “Sport Bild”, there will be a last big meeting with the 26-year-old. In this context, those responsible at Dortmund want to give the national player an emotional insight into his future role as the face of the club. There is still great hope that Schlotterbeck will decide on a future with the Westphalians. The rumored interested party Real Madrid has not yet contacted us.
Niklas Süle (30) and Salih Özcan (28) are expected to leave the club when their contracts end in the summer, and Julian Brandt (29), who will also soon be free, has a draft offer. Professionals like Marcel Sabitzer (31), Ramy Bensebaini (30) and Yan Couto (23) are no longer untouchable and therefore candidates for departure. In addition, BVB has to close the financial gap of up to 27 million euros after the early exit from the Champions League. In addition to Schlotterbeck, who could go against an extension if a decision is made, Serhou Guirassy (29), Karim Adeyemi (24) and Felix Nmecha (25) would be considered sales candidates.
Nmecha’s future: return to Man City or extension at BVB?
According to Sky Sport, Nmecha has particularly attracted the interest of Manchester City. According to the pay-TV broadcaster, the Citizens and coach Pep Guardiola have contacted the midfielder’s management. DFB kicker Nmecha can easily imagine a transfer to the Premier League. The Hamburg native was already on the ball for the Skyblues in his youth before moving to VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on a free transfer in 2021. Borussia, however, wants to extend the contract with Nmecha, who is bound until 2028. Initial discussions between sports director Kehl and the player agent are said to have taken place.
With a view to new additions, the BVB bosses are said to have particularly focused on the defense and the defensive midfield. The “Bild” brings the first candidates into play with Aleksandar Stanković (20, Club Bruges), Benjamin Pavard (29, currently on loan from Inter Milan to Olympique Marseille), Marcos Senesi (28, Bournemouth) and Ramon Hendriks (24, VfB Stuttgart). The Black and Yellows’ squad value is currently 484.4 million euros, which puts them second behind the undisputed leaders FC Bayern.
