The sporting director of Borussia Dortmund has made it clear that a move for Newcastle United’s target is off the table.
Newcastle United have joined Arsenal and Liverpool in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt.
The news came shortly after Brandt scored Dortmund’s second goal of the evening, condemning Newcastle to their second Champions League defeat to Dortmund this season.
In April, Julian Brandt signed a new contract with BVB.
Now, a report from German outlet Bild (via HITC) cites a quote from Dortmund’s sporting director Sebastian Kehl, effectively ruling out any chance of Newcastle signing the 27-year-old in January.
“We didn’t extend Julian Brandt’s contract until 2026 for nothing in April.” He is a vital member of our team.
“That’s why a transfer is absolutely out of the question!”
Brandt appears to be a summer acquisition rather than a January signing.
That sounds pretty definitive, but these kinds of statements are made all the time, and the player still moves.
Given his current form for BVB, we never saw Brandt as a January target. A January move would only make sense if Dortmund were eliminated from the Champions League.
Perhaps Kehl’s stance will soften by the summer, and Newcastle will make a move then.
