Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid is reportedly set to open discussions with Borussia Dortmund about a potential summer transfer for superstar Erling Haaland.

ESPN's Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez reported Friday that Manchester City is "best positioned" to land Haaland, but Los Blancos are still keen on trying to land both the Norwegian striker and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

Barcelona is also said to be involved in the pursuit of Haaland, whose camp has "made it clear" he'd prefer to leave Dortmund this summer and would like to finalize plans in the "next few weeks to avoid further drama," according to the ESPN report.

Haaland scored 41 goals in 41 matches across all competitions for the German club last season and has continued to shine throughout the 2021-22 term, tallying 16 goals and five assists in 14 Bundesliga appearances.

In January, the 21-year-old attacking sensation told Norwegian outlet Viaplay (h/t ESPN) that Dortmund had started to "press" him into making a decision about his future.

"That is what they want," he said. "It means things will happen now. They have started to put a lot of pressure on me, and I have to accept that ... so now is the time to get things started."

Real Madrid leads La Liga with 52 goals scored in 26 matches this season, which has helped the club build a six-point lead over Sevilla atop the table.

Adding Haaland or Mbappe, or potentially both, to the squad would make it even more difficult for their Spanish counterparts to keep pace in the coming years.

That would obviously come at quite a cost, though. In November, agent Volker Struth estimated to German outlet Sport Bild (h/t Marca) the total price to sign Haaland between the transfer fee and the striker's new contract will likely be in the €250-300 million range.

Given Haaland's status as one of the world's top strikers and the high-profile clubs involved in trying to sign him, transfer talks could stretch well into the summer as Dortmund tries to maximize its return.

But it sounds like both the player and the club would prefer to settle the situation well before the transfer window opens to avoid a summer of unrelenting speculation.

Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland could demand $41 million (£30 million) or more annually in the event he signs with a new club next summer, according to ESPN's Mark Ogden.

"ESPN has been told that senior figures from interested clubs have been made aware that Haaland expects a pay deal that would see him earn in excess of £500,000 a week," Ogden reported. "ESPN has contacted the Haaland camp for a response to the figures."

Because of a release clause in his deal with Dortmund, the Norwegian star may be available for a reasonable transfer fee. Ogden cited a figure of €75 million. By comparison, €150 million was thrown out as a possible price for Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane.

At $165 million, he has the second-highest valuation on Transfermarkt behind Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe.

But the transfer fee only accounts for a portion of the outlay that will be required to land Haaland. He can justifiably request a contract that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the world, and Ogden reported that a "significant payment" would be tacked onto the transfer and go toward Haaland's representatives.

Upon arriving from Red Bull Salzburg, the 21-year-old made a seamless transition to the Bundesliga. He has 49 goals in 49 league appearances for Dortmund, and he's already setting records in the Champions League.

When Erling Haaland broke Kylian Mbappé’s record in becoming the youngest player to reach 15 Champions League goals ⚽️⚽️@ErlingHaaland | @BVB | #UCL pic.twitter.com/tSkVGXiRZS

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) July 21, 2021

Given his age, Haaland might be content to remain with Dortmund through the 2022-23 season. The club is one point behind Bayern Munich for the top spot in the Bundesliga, though its 4-0 loss to Ajax on Tuesday in the Champions League was a humbling result.

In general, winning a league title or achieving continental success could be difficult at Signal Iduna Park given the way Bayern cannibalizes the competition. That and the pay raise he can earn provide obvious reasons to look at all of his options next summer.

Manchester United reportedly still plans to make a major push to sign Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland next summer despite Tuesday's signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.

ESPN's Mark Ogden reported Wednesday the Ronaldo reunion "will not impact" the Red Devils' pursuit of Haaland, who can trigger a €75 million release clause in his contract after the 2021-22 season.

The Ronaldo situation came together quickly during the final stages of the transfer window. Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said Aug. 21 the five-time Ballon d'Or winner hadn't expressed interest in leaving the Italian club, but that changed over the following week and set the stage for his return to Old Trafford.

Ogden reported the agreement to bring back the 36-year-old Portuguese legend was "financed outside" United's planned transfer budget, but it still won't impact the future pursuit of Haaland.

The Red Devils are expected to face competition from several European giants, including Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, for the 21-year-old Norwegian sensation, per Ogden.

Haaland is coming off a tremendous season for Dortmund in which he recorded 37 goals and 10 assists across 36 appearances in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League. He's off to another fast start, tallying three goals and two assists in the first three domestic league matches this term.

The dynamic striker has been a coveted target for the last several transfer windows, but so far he's not been keen on trying to force his way out of Westfalenstadion.

"Well, I have a contract for a couple of fine years, so I am respectful towards my contract," Haaland told reporters in May.

He's under contract through June 2024, but the release clause next summer could make a transfer financially viable for many of Europe's biggest clubs.

Beating out the likes of Bayern, City, PSG and Real Madrid for Haaland would be a major statement for United as it looks to regain its status as an annual contender in Europe. It last won the Premier League in 2012-13 and the Champions League in 2007-08.

Ronaldo, who scored 33 goals between Serie A and the UCL last season, can provide a short-term boost in that quest, but Haaland is potential a long-term building block for United.

A year after Manchester United first tried to pry Jadon Sancho away from Borussia Dortmund, it reportedly finally got its man. 

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian, United has agreed to a transfer fee with Dortmund. Ornstein reported that it was an "initial €85 million (£72.6 million)" fee, while Romano had it at "€90m with add ons."

Romano reported that the "agents fee and personal terms" have been agreed upon, with a contract until 2026, and the deal will be finalized pending Sancho undergoing a medical examination. 

Per Ornstein, "Dortmund had a 'gentleman's agreement' with Sancho and told the forward he would be allowed to leave this summer if a club meets his valuation."

United pursued Sancho a summer ago, but Ornstein, Raphael Honigstein and Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic reported in October that the club did not take Dortmund's €120 million valuation or the Aug. 10 deadline the German club set for the potential transfer seriously. 

What followed was a summer of rumors instead, with The Athletic reporting that United's failures to take Dortmund's initial demands seriously—and attempts to slow play the negotiations in an effort to drive down the price—left them "embarking on a long-running game of poker without realising that the Bundesliga club weren't even at the table," an approach that "annoyed Dortmund's executives."

In the end, The Athletic reported that United ultimately made a bid of £80 million with add ons in late September, which was rejected. 

Sancho remained at Dortmund, where he posted eight goals and 11 assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances (24 starts). He added two goals and three assists in six Champions League appearances (four starts). 

Jadon Sancho has been directly involved in a league goal once every 87.4 minutes since the start of the 2018/19 season.

◉ 6,819 minutes
◉ 41 assists
◉ 37 goals

Outrageous output. pic.twitter.com/C5hnu3Vv6k

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 30, 2021

⏱️ Best mins per goal contribution (25+ starts) in Europe's top 5 leagues last two seasons:

1️⃣ Luis Muriel - every 53.6 mins
2️⃣ Lewandowski - 60.8
3️⃣ Kylian Mbappe - 68.5
4️⃣ Leo Messi - 69.5
5️⃣ Erling Haaland - 72.3
6️⃣ Neymar - 82.8
7️⃣ Jadon Sancho - 83.9

🤯 Sancho is 21 pic.twitter.com/4OlTAIBhsI

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) June 30, 2021

Despite the janky negotiations a year ago, United and Dortmund reengaged on Sancho transfer talks again following the 2020-21 season, with the Premier League giants this time fully engaging much earlier in the summer.

Re: Sancho

After the second offer the parties have been working hard and professional to build a financial foundation.

As I have said before: Didn’t have the feeling he would go last summer, had it this summer. Now time to congratulate OGS and Man UTD with a great signing https://t.co/ECcssMn8i4

— Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🇳🇴 (@JanAageFjortoft) June 30, 2021

The result is that Sancho will be joining a scary United attack that accounted for 73 goals last season, second in the Premier League, as the team finished second on the table behind champions Manchester City. 

Sancho will join players like Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani in United's front line, giving manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a scary blend of talent to utilize this upcoming season. 

Mino Raiola, the agent for Erling Haaland, said Saturday the Borussia Dortmund striker's price tag won't be prohibitive for some of Europe's top clubs in the summer transfer window.

Raiola confirmed to AS' Marco Ruiz that Dortmund has told him it's not interested in a sale, but he believes European giants Real Madrid, among others, can certainly afford the likely massive transfer fee to convince the Bundesliga side to let him go.

When asked if the La Liga outfit could make an acceptable bid for the Norwegian, Raiola said: "I don't know if they can afford him, because I've haven't studied their books. But I think they can. I think they all can. The question is different: Can Madrid afford not to buy Haaland? And Barca?"

Haaland will be one of the most coveted players available this summer if Dortmund eases from its stance about trying to keep him, a decision that may be directly related to how much opposing clubs can offer considering the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

Raiola explained to Ruiz that Dortmund's lack of interest in a sale hasn't stopped the European giants like Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid from lining up for talks after the 2020-21 season:

"Haaland is interested in two things. Scoring goals, because he's a little bit like Cristiano or Zlatan...it's his obsession, in a positive way. And winning titles. No doubt he'll pick somewhere where he feels those two things go together best for him. It's really hard to lie. When a club like Barcelona or Real Madrid comes in for you, with so much history and being such a big club, it's hard to say no. PSG is getting into his group of big clubs, City is trying, Juve have always been there. The league they play in is important too. PSG plays in the worst league of the big clubs. Bayern are in an attractive league, but we know they always win it. In Spain there are three clubs with a chance."

Haaland has been in peak form for much of the term for Dortmund. He's recorded 35 goals and seven assists in 34 appearances between the Bundesliga and the Champions League.

The 20-year-old Norway international has firmly established himself as one of the world's most dynamic attackers, and he'd provide an instant boost to any frontline in Europe.

Raiola noted whenever Haaland becomes available for transfer, whether it's this summer or in the future, it won't be a matter of simply which club offers the most money.

"No, no...my job is to maximize the economic performance of the player, but it needs to be a major project," he told Ruiz. "You can't buy a footballer without having a plan or a project for the future. Real Madrid and Barcelona have changed a lot in this sense. They had an era when they bought players who had little future. They had to leave soon after. The rotation of players was too quick."

The agent, who also works for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and others, added Haaland hasn't provided any preferences about the league or club where he wants to land, and it's best to compile a list of potential suitors and then let the player go through the process from there.

For now, the standout striker is focused on trying to help Dortmund earn a Champions League berth. BVB are two points behind Wolfsburg and one point behind Eintracht Frankfurt for the final two UCL spots out of the Bundesliga with three matches remaining.

But first, the club hosts the DFB-Pokal semifinal against Holstein Kiel on Saturd

It was stressful, but Manchester City got the first step of the job done and is well on its way to the Champions League semifinals.

Kevin De Bruyne scored in the 18th minute and Phil Foden added the winner in the 90th for City to earn a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. The two sides will meet again April 14 at Signal Iduna Park.

Dortmund give it away and Kevin De Bruyne makes them pay 💀 pic.twitter.com/WEAyN2kddY

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 6, 2021

De Bruyne's goal carried the match deep into the second half before Marco Reus tied the score in the 84th. It seemed Dortmund would be able to escape with a draw, but Foden found the back of the net on City's last deep attack to salvage the win for the favorites.

While City controlled the match and held possession for 62 percent of the match, Dortmund will walk away with some hope after scoring an away goal against the Premier League club. 

Many supporters of the German side may even say Dortmund should have walked away with a draw. An official made a controversial foul call on Jude Bellingham in the first half that wiped away a sure goal. On replay, it was clear Bellingham made contact with the ball to get it past City keeper Ederson and then was free to strike the ball through the net.

However, the official called Bellingham for a foul, saying he contacted Ederson when in fact the opposite was true. It was Ederson who made contact with Bellingham when he was attempting to play the ball.

It was a frustrating result for a Dortmund side that likely could have gotten some momentum with a win over a red-hot City. Dortmund entered Tuesday with just one win in its last five matches, and it currently sits a disappointing fifth in Bundesliga as a result.

City is running away with the Premiership, sitting with a 14-point lead in the table and now winners of six straight matches. 

Dortmund's frustration carries a little less merit after it gave up the final goal in the waning seconds, but there is nevertheless still hope heading into the second leg. 

As we head towards the end of another Bundesliga season, Borussia Dortmund find themselves in a familiar situation.

They are looking up at Bayern Munich, who are on course to win the German championship for the eighth season in a row. And as they consider what to do if they do indeed come up short again, there is an expectation that head coach Lucien Favre will lose his job.

The truth is, Dortmund still seem to be struggling to move on from the days of Jurgen Klopp. He left at the end of the 2014/15 season, but those exciting times, when they played heavy metal football and won league titles in 2011 and 2012, still hangs over everyone at Signal Iduna Park.

After a brief sabbatical, Klopp joined Liverpool in October 2015, and he has since led the Reds to a Champions League title in 2019 and has them on the brink of winning the Premier League.

Yet the outward image of Dortmund today still feels built around what Klopp did back then, with the club trying to reimagine the brand of football he brought. The memories seem a burden on those who have come afterwards.

Bosses Thomas Tuchel, Peter Bosz and Peter Stoger have all been and gone, while current head coach Favre could soon be out of a job, according to SportBild (h/t BVB Buzz). The club could be on to their fifth boss in as many years very soon.

Abel Meszaros, a Bundesliga analyst for European sports channel Sport1 TV, tells Bleacher Report he believes in the theory that an obsession with Klopp is still lingering.

"I share the sentiment that Dortmund are in a state of Kloppophenia," Meszaros says. "After all, he was the ultimate embodiment of a Ruhrpott legend: charismatic enough to basically inspire a devout following from his players, yet understanding and caring enough on a human level to connect with them personally.

"In some ways, the perception of Klopp in Germany is both that of like a religious leader, a global brand and a down to earth guy, basically the total package.

"What made those years special is that he became champion as an outsider and changed the course of world football with his heavy metal football. 

"He developed young players into superstars in the middle like Nuri Sahin and Ilkay Gundogan, turned versatile attacking midfielders into briefly world-class players like Shinji Kagawa and Mario Gotze, and his strikers—Marco Reus, Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang—kept supplying goals.

"In addition, his revolutionary ideas on pressing and counter-pressing—the idea that you don't have to get back into defensive shape, and it's much better to actively try to win the ball, because it's less energy and you create chances—changed the world of football tactics.

"You no longer needed to have the best players in the world to try to compete with the likes of Bayern or Real Madrid."

When Klopp moved on, Tuchel seemed a good choice as his replacement. 

He had learned his trade in the Bundesliga and earned a reputation at Mainz—where Klopp had also made his mark as a young boss—as one of the game's most tactically astute coaches. 

But Tuchel lasted two seasons, and his replacement Bosz lasted just five months after a spell in which he failed to win any of the side's Champions League fixtures.

Stoger was next and managed to stabilize the club, before Favre was named in May 2018 as the next man to lead them forward.

Manuel Veth, a Bundesliga writer and Area Manager at Transfermarkt, says the club have had difficulties moving on from Klopp: "I think it has always been about finding the coach that can add to Klopp's tactical approach.

"In Thomas Tuchel, they perhaps thought they might even have found a similar character, but fundamentally, he is very different in his approach to Klopp.

"When it came to Peter Bosz, the attacking style of football was similar but defensively the two are not. Finally, Favre, he is a technocrat. Perhaps the best tactical coach on the planet—but he lacks Klopp's emotions.

"I think Dortmund always had to find some sort of compromise in their appointments, copying Klopp is impossible, so it was always about playing style rather than personality."

German expert Meszaros agrees: "I am sympathetic to the argument that Dortmund should try to distance itself from the 'let us find the next Klopp' argument. It is a bit like 'let's find the new Messi.' Essentially you might be chasing a mirage."

Favre is contracted to Dortmund until 2021, yet the managerial shortlist for a replacement seems to be shaping up behind the scenes, and B/R understands the options are pretty varied.

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is the dream appointment, although there will be concerns over his grasp of German and the sort of financial package he would be looking for.

An emerging option is American RB Salzburg coach Jesse Marsch, 46, who has already worked with Erling Haaland. He also has Bundesliga experience thanks to a brief spell as assistant manager at RB Leipzig, and he is considered one of the most courageous, exciting young bosses in the game.

Niko Kovac, who was sacked by Bayern Munich in November, is being linked but would be a hard sell to supporters. However, he was admired for his previous work at Frankfurt and did win silverware with both clubs.

Ajax's Erik Ten Hag has also caught attention with his brand of dominant football. 

Bundesliga commentator Phil Bonney has seen enough chopping and changing in recent years to convince him that ditching the head coach again is not necessarily a good idea: "I guess the question I would throw back here is, who would do better than Favre?"

"Clubs don't seem to have much patience these days. In a parallel universe, Bayern lose their next two games and the title fight is back on. Favre becomes a BVB legend as Bayern only draw with Wolfsburg on the last day and Dortmund swipe the title from under Bayern's nose!" 

For Dortmund fans, though, Favre's reign has been pretty frustrating. 

"There are a number of reasons he is having to fight for his job", says Tushar from fan blog BVB Buzz.

"Favre has got a lot wrong during his time at Borussia Dortmund. His man-management hasn't been the best. Some players keep getting chances despite playing poorly.

"His record in big games has also generally been really poor. Aside from the wins over Inter Milan and PSG, Dortmund seem to struggle in big games more often than not. His tactics have also been too passive in a lot of the games against teams of lower calibre. Far too often, Dortmund start defending deep after taking the lead, allowing the opposition to get back into the game. He can also be very stubborn at times and is often too slow to react with his in-game tweaks and substitutions. 

"But a case can also be made for him being unlucky. The Dortmund players have been very inconsistent, making easily avoidable errors. Players like Achraf Hakimi can go from world-class to error-prone in the space of a week.

"Injuries to key players before crucial games have also hurt Dortmund in each of the last two seasons. I can see why some fans are calling for Favre to go. He hasn't helped himself with some of the decisions he has made, but he has been unlucky, too.

"He has taken Dortmund from struggling to make top four to serious title contenders in a very short time, and deserves a lot of respect for that. 

"If Favre is sacked, Michael Zorc and Hans Joachim Watzke will be under massive pressure to get their next appointment right."

So what does the next coach need to have? 

"Dortmund need someone who is aggressive and takes a more proactive approach to matches," Tushar explains. "Favre gives the opposition too much space and time at times, and they need someone who can control the game better tactically. They also need someone who can get the best out of players, motivate them and get them to turn up for every game."

Bundesliga analyst Meszaros adds: "From the list of Favre replacements, I would very much be interested if they could pull the trigger on a guy like Jesse Marsch, who has a lot of the same attributes as Klopp.

"I think he would be a really good appointment—although I realise that it contradicts the 'getting over Kloppo' argument."

Yep. When all is said and done, it still sounds like Dortmund could do with finding the next Jurgen Klopp, doesn't it?  

The Bundesliga returned to action Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic with no fans in attendance, which made for a unique scene at Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion.

After Dortmund recorded a dominant 4-0 victory over rivals Schalke 04, the players celebrated in front of the Yellow Wall, which is customary after they win at home.

The celebration had a decidedly different feel Saturday, though, since there were no fans present to cheer on their team:

Dortmund celebrate their win in front of their iconic Yellow Wall — even when it's empty 😅

(via @btsportfootball) pic.twitter.com/YT3IcNsKVU

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 16, 2020

Westfalenstadion has a capacity of over 80,000, and the Yellow Wall is an especially iconic part of the stadium, as the fans in that section can be an intimidating presence to the opposition.

The lack of fans didn't adversely affect Dortmund's performance, however, as they took a 2-0 lead into halftime thanks to goals from Erling Haaland and Raphael Guerreiro. Thorgan Hazard put them up 3-0 early in the second half, and Guerreiro finished the scoring with his second goal in the 63rd minute.

Dortmund closed the gap on leaders Bayern Munich with the win, now trailing by just one point, although Bayern are scheduled to face Union Berlin on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Schalke sit all the way down in eighth with 37 points, though sixth-place Wolfsburg are only two points ahead of them.

Red Bull Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch has hailed Borussia Dortmund starlet Erling Haaland as already being one of the top talents in world football. 

Marsch managed the 19-year-old before he moved to BVB in January. The coach told the Planet Futbol Podcast (h/t Goal's Sean Wilson):

"He's a special personality. He's clearly an incredible talent. I mean, his athleticism, his speed, it right away puts him in the upper echelon of talents in our sport.

"And then you add his desire to be successful, his mentality every day, the way he works at his technical ability, the way he works at his finishing every day, how much he puts into trying to be the best footballer he can possibly be every day."

Marsch said the striker is "dealing with a little bit of fame" and pointed to Paris Saint-Germain's mocking of him after they knocked Dortmund out of the UEFA Champions League earlier in March:

.@KMbappe and PSG did Erling Haaland's signature celebration in the locker room 👀 pic.twitter.com/SVpheH6ZXY

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 11, 2020

"So he'll have his challenges, and he's only 19 years old, and he's going to make mistakes," he added. "But in the end, his desire to be the best is different than anything I've ever seen."

Haaland exploded on to the scene at Salzburg this season as he racked up an astonishing 28 goals and seven assists in 22 matches during the first half of the campaign.

That included eight goals in the Champions League group stage against Liverpool, Napoli and Genk.

The youngster not only possesses great pace, he also has the physicality to compete with defenders for the ball, too.

He hasn't slowed down since making the step up from the Austrian Bundesliga to the German Bundesliga, either:

👕 11 appearances
⚽️ 12 goals
🅰️ 2 assists

Hands up if you can't wait to see Erling Haaland playing football for Borussia Dortmund again 🙋‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/X6Zj84SjKL

— GOAL (@goal) March 16, 2020

Haaland has nine goals in eight league games for Dortmund, and his efforts were recognised in February:

.@ErlingHaaland is February's Bundesliga Rookie of the Month!

Throwback to these identical goals on back-to-back matchdays for @BlackYellow 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/5BN8lYU5ni

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 19, 2020

The teenager also scored in his solitary DFB-Pokal appearance, and he netted a brace against PSG in the first leg of their last-16 tie (U.S. and UK only, respectively):

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1229881099452657671

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1229903419625787392

In total, he has scored 40 goals in 33 matches this season for Salzburg and Dortmund, as well as producing nine assists.

He has spent 2,200 minutes on the pitch, so that's a goal every 55 minutes on average. Including his assists, he's had a direct hand in a goal every 45 minutes he's played.

He'll play a key role in Dortmund's Bundesliga title push during the run-in, provided the season resumes from its hiatus amid the outbreak of COVID-19.

The Bundesliga has been suspended until at least April 2, but UEFA has committed to finishing the season by June 30.

Bayern Munich are four points clear of Dortmund with nine matches left to play, one of which is a trip for the Bavarians to BVB's Westfalenstadion.

Borussia Dortmund wouldn't block Jadon Sancho's path if the gifted forward wanted to leave, according to club CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke.

He addressed Sancho's future during an interview with RMC Sport (h/t Get French Football News):

"Jadon is a great, great talent, maybe the greatest talent in Europe currently of players under the age of 21. In my opinion, he has the potential to become one of the two or three best players in the world in the years to come. We are going to do our best to hold on to him for as long as possible. We have a very good relationship with him. But if one day he comes to us and says that he wants to leave the club, then we'll discuss it. But that is not our primary option. The primary option is to keep him for as long as possible."

Sancho moving would rob Dortmund of arguably the team's most talented presence in the final third. Yet there is no doubt the 19-year-old will continue to attract attention from clubs across Europe thanks to his stellar performances.

He has excelled since swapping life in the Manchester City academy for the Bundesliga in 2017. The teenager was acquired for a mere £8 million, a true bargain that once again underlined the astute nature and effectiveness of Dortmund's recruitment practices.

Sancho's form this season has translated into 17 goals and as many assists to help Dortmund to second domestically and into the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League. The numbers are the result of natural flair, close control, skill and a coolness in front of goal that belie Sancho's years.

15 - Jadon Sancho has assisted 15 goals in the Bundesliga this season for Borussia Dortmund - the last Englishman to assist as many league goals in a single campaign within Europe's top five divisions was Frank Lampard in 2004-05 with Chelsea (18 assists). Special. pic.twitter.com/vV3g7dN5En

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 7, 2020

Sancho has firmly established himself as the key man in a Dortmund forward line also populated by other match-winners, including striker Erling Haaland. Thorgan Hazard and Julian Brandt provide artistry from wide areas, while Marco Reus remains a talisman when fit.

Even so, it's Sancho who is being linked with the big-money moves this summer. Premier League giants are reportedly ready to come calling, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all in the frame, according to TalkSport's Billy Hawkins.

Sancho would be an asset for any member of the trio, while Dortmund would get to make a significant profit on their original investment. Bild (h/t MailOnline's James Gant) reported the England international's price tag would be upwards of £120 million.

Just Jadon Sancho things 😎pic.twitter.com/JAKuAbPO1L

— GOAL (@goal) March 9, 2020

Stumping up the fee won't be the only challenge facing keen suitors, though. Interested clubs would also have to meet personal terms believed to be in excess of £200,000 per week, according to Mike McGrath of the Telegraph.

The cost of a deal may seem prohibitive, but few young players are proving themselves at the top level of European competition as well as Sancho. Dortmund's model relies on developing stars and cashing in, so any club ready to meet these demands will likely be able to tempt Sancho into accelerating the next step in his career development.