Bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed midfielder Julian Brandt will sign for Borussia Dortmund, with a medical reportedly planned for later this week.

The club confirmed the transfer in a statement to SID (h/t Goal's Ronan Murphy):

Per Bild (in German), Dortmund will activate the €25 million release clause in Brandt's contract, and the transfer should be completed at some point this week. He'll be paid €8 million per year. Brandt told his team-mates the news on their way to a vacation in Barcelona on Monday night.

Last week, sporting director Rudi Voller told Sky Sports News HD (h/t Goal's Dane Sheridan) Brandt's future would be decided this week: "We know exactly which clubs have knocked [for Brandt]. Brandt has some requests, and in the next five, six or seven days there will be a decision. By reaching the Champions League, we hope we have a small or big chance (that he will stay)."

Per sports writer Manuel Veth, Brandt previously hinted he could stay at the club if it secured UEFA Champions League football for next season:

Leverkusen did just that, finishing the season in fourth place behind Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, but the midfielder still decided to leave. According to Goal's Chris Burton, he was also linked with Liverpool and Juventus.

The 23-year-old made his Bundesliga debut in 2014 and has been among Germany's top talents ever since. He's a full German international as well as one of the Bundesliga's best creators:

Brandt stands out for his versatility and well-rounded skill set. While he's mostly known as an attacking midfielder, he can also slide further back and play closer to his own defence or split out wide and play as a winger.

He scored seven goals and added 11 assists in the Bundesliga this season, netting in his final appearance, a 5-1 win over Hertha.

Here is a profile of the rising star:

Losing Brandt for just €25 million is a serious blow for Leverkusen, especially as he'll join one of their Bundesliga rivals. Dortmund seem determined to strengthen their squad with domestic stars this summer, with Borussia Monchengladbach's Thorgan Hazard also close to joining, per Sport1 (h/t Burton).

Bayer Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz has said he is hopeful both Julian Brandt and Kai Havertz remain at the club this summer despite transfer speculation.

The midfield duo have excelled this season in the Bundesliga and helped Bayer secure UEFA Champions League football for next term after they hammered Hertha Berlin 5-1 on Saturday.

Speaking about the players to Bayer 04 TV (h/t Nicholas McGee of Goal), the manager said a fourth-place finish will only help the club keep hold of their brightest talents:

"Yes, it's a better chance [of Leverkusen keeping both players]. I don't know. Kai will stay, for sure. And Julian, I hope he will stay. Every player wants to play at the highest level and we have the chance next season to play at the highest level.

"We're looking forward to it. Not only in the Champions League but also the Bundesliga."

As relayed by McGee, Brandt has previously been linked with Champions League finalists Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

According to Bild (h/t Sport Witness), Brandt is close to making a move to Borussia Dortmund after the Bundesliga runners-up triggered a €25 million (£22 million) release clause in the German international's contract.

In addition to BVB, Paris Saint-Germain, Torino and Atletico Madrid are all said to have shown an interest in Brandt.

Per WhoScored.com, Brandt has been one of the most creative players in Germany this season:

While he appears set to move on, Leverkusen supporters will at least be content with how emphatic Bosz is when it comes to Havertz's future. After all, the 19-year-old is quickly emerging as the most important player at the club.

Prior to this season, the midfielder had showcased flashes of potential and an inventive edge on the ball. In 2018-19 he upped his productivity levels, finishing the season with 20 goals in all competitions and 17 in the Bundesliga, a haul only bettered by Robert Lewandowski and Paco Alcacer.

Scouted Football put his goalscoring feats into context:

Goal shared some of the best moments of what has been a breakthrough season for the youngster:

As relayed by Sport Witness, there has been some tentative talk in the German media about a possible transfer for Havertz, although Bayer are said to value him highly:

If Brandt were to leave, it would be a big disappointment for Leverkusen, as he's emerged from the club's academy and cemented his status in the first team as a key player. He's now one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga and, for the price mentioned, would be a bargain.

Havertz is currently the crown jewel of the Bayer side, though, and Bosz will surely look to build a team around him from 2019-20 onwards. For Leverkusen, it's imperative they continue getting into the Champions League on a regular basis to ensure they can keep such exciting talents at the club.

Hamburg striker Jann-Fiete Arp has announced he will move to Bayern Munich in the summer.

The German talent confirmed the news in an Instagram post (h/t Goal's Ronan Murphy):

Bayern landed the forward's services in February, but the deal was structured so Arp could decide when he would move to the Allianz Arena himself. The final date for him to complete the transfer was July 2020, per Bayern's official website.

Per DW Sports, Arp said he believes he needs a "change of scenery":

The 19-year-old has long been regarded as one of the best talents in all of Germany, scoring plenty of goals for various national youth sides. He was one of the prospects featured in the Guardian's 2017 Next Generation list, noting his scoring record of 26 goals in 21 under-17 matches for Hamburg.

Known for his tremendous finishing ability, predatory instincts and excellent vision, Arp was linked with Chelsea before agreeing to a deal with Bayern, per the Guardian's Michael Reis.

Here are some of his highlights:

But while the youngster is an exceptional talent, his production hasn't translated to the senior level yet. Arp couldn't force his way into Hamburg's starting XI the past season, making just five starts in the 2. Bundesliga and scoring one goal―in the 3-0 win over Duisburg on the final matchday.

With the option of an additional year at Hamburg on the table, it's a surprise Arp chose to move to the Bundesliga champions now. Murphy doesn't like his chances of finding significant playing time in Munich:

He didn't improve much during the past season with Hamburg, however, so perhaps a change was needed. At Bayern, he'll have the chance to train with the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller, experienced forwards who have been successful in the Bundesliga.

Hamburg missed out on promotion to the Bundesliga, finishing one point behind Union Berlin and the promotion play-off in the 2. Bundesliga. A lack of top-flight football next season likely played a role in Arp's decision.

Bayern Munich beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 on the final Bundesliga matchday to retain the title, despite Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Kingsley Coman opened the scoring early, and while Sebastian Haller momentarily had Dortmund fans believing in their title chances, David Alaba and Renato Sanches scored soon after to lock up the title.

Franck Ribery celebrated his final match for the club by getting on the scoresheet as well:

Not to be outdone, Arjen Robben also bagged a final goal for the club.

Frankfurt just snuck into the UEFA Europa League spots despite losing, as Hoffenheim gave away a two-goal lead at Mainz, losing 4-2 and dropping to ninth place. Bayer Leverkusen beat Hertha 5-1 and locked up the final UEFA Champions League ticket, while Wolfsburg romped past Augsburg, winning 8-1.

Bayern came into the day needing just a draw against Frankfurt to defend their Bundesliga crown. They have won the title in seven consecutive years.

The hosts started the day by honoring three veterans set to depart the club, as Robben, Ribery and Rafinha put on the iconic red kit for the final time:

Coman gave the Bavarians the perfect start inside four minutes, finding the breakthrough after a swift attacking move.

Per Goal's Ronan Murphy, any excitement regarding the title race seemed gone already:

Serge Gnabry had a goal ruled out by the video assistant for offside, and for most of the first half, the hosts cruised against a Frankfurt side that needed a result themselves to secure their European ticket.

Over in Monchengladbach, Dortmund struggled for much of the first half, but Jadon Sancho gave the visitors the lead shortly before half-time. There was some controversy involved with the goal, as the ball may have gone over the line prior to Marco Reus' cross:

There was no top-down image that could confirm the ball had gone completely out, however, and without conclusive evidence to overturn the call, the goal stood.

Haller equalised for Frankfurt after just 51 minutes, pushing his team to within a single goal of the win and a possible title for Dortmund, but Alaba restored the lead within minutes, crushing those dreams:

Reus doubled BVB's lead shortly after, but Dortmund then needed a ton of help from a Frankfurt side that was on the ropes.

And when Sanches made it 3-1, the title race was as good as over. The Portuguese picked a good time to open his Bundesliga account, per sports writer Chris Williams:

Robben made his final appearance off the bench, replacing Gnabry, but it was Ribery who got to celebrate his final outing for the club first, with a goal after 72 minutes. He had replaced Coman after 61 minutes. 

The Dutchman would get his goal soon after, capping a perfect final matchday for the Rekordmeister.

Bayern have now won the Bundesliga title 28 times.

The Bundesliga title race will go down to the wire on Saturday as Bayern Munich bid to win their seventh consecutive title.

Bayern are two points ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who were the last team other than Bayern to lift the trophy in 2012:

Because of their vastly superior goal difference—Bayern's is 52 while BVB's is 35—the Bavarian outfit need only a draw to effectively guarantee themselves the title. For Dortmund, nothing less than a win will do, and they'll need Bayern to lose, too.

In some interesting symmetry, both Bayern boss Niko Kovac and Dortmund manager Lucien Favre will face off against their former teams, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Monchengladbach, respectively.

Bayern will host Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena, while Dortmund will travel to Borussia-Park.

Both Frankfurt and Gladbach will be desperate to win, too, as they have UEFA Champions League football on the line:

The pair are split by Bayer Leverkusen, who play Hertha Berlin. The trio all have similar goal differences, so matters could come down to goals scored if they find themselves level. If that is the case, Bayer have netted 64 times, Frankfurt 59 and Gladbach 55.

Should Dortmund fail to win the title, either because they slip up against Gladbach or Bayern avoid doing so against Frankfurt, they've still had an excellent season, per Goal's Ronan Murphy:

Their focus will lie solely on their own task at hand, according to Favre.

Per Goal's Dom Farrell, he said in his press conference ahead of Saturday's clash:

"We have to be fully concentrated on our game and hope that good things happen on the other pitch. The game has to be our focus and we have to win it. Period.

"Everything is possible. How high are the chances? It's hard to say and I don't really want to talk about it.

"We have to win in Gladbach. As you said, Gladbach also want to win. We will have to play on a high level and win in the end."

Oliver Kahn wasn't ready to give up.

It was the 90th minute of Bayern Munich's game at Hamburg on the final day of the 2000-01 Bundesliga season, and the visitors had just gone 1-0 down to a Sergej Barbarez header.

With title rivals Schalke winning 5-3 at home to SpVgg Unterhaching, the Bundesliga shield looked set to be ripped from Bayern's hands. The Bavarians needed only a point to take the title, but Barbarez's goal left Schalke top of the table on goal difference.

Haunting memories of Bayern's stoppage-time collapse against Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League final two years earlier loomed large. To lose out in such circumstances again would be devastating.

When the goal went in, the television pictures flashed to Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who stood in a state of shock on the touchline, numbly adjusting his tie and fiddling with the buttons on his suit jacket. On the Bayern bench, giant striker Carsten Jancker, who had been substituted in the 77th minute, sat with his head in his hands. General manager Uli Hoeness licked his lips nervously and stared blankly into the middle distance. In the stands, the TV cameras picked out a Bayern fan slumped over a metal support barrier in disbelief.

It fell to Kahn to shake his team-mates from their stupor. While the players around him stood with hands on hips or gazed vacantly into the stands, the Bayern goalkeeper retrieved the ball from the back of the net and trotted down the pitch in order to expedite the restart. There was still time remaining, and Bayern only needed one goal.

"Your first reaction is that you're really disappointed," former Bayern defender Patrik Andersson tells Bleacher Report. "But I remember that Oliver took the ball out of the net and ran up to the middle with it, to start again. That was a very important signal to the team."

In the third minute of stoppage time, Hamburg goalkeeper Mathias Schober inexplicably picked up a back-pass from team-mate Tomas Ujfalusi, giving Bayern an indirect free-kick inside the home penalty area, three yards outside the six-yard box and to the left of centre. A lifeline.

As Schober (who was ironically on loan from Schalke) organised his defensive wall and Kahn made a nuisance of himself, having come up for the kick, Andersson stood over the ball with Bayern captain Stefan Effenberg. Two of Bayern's regular free-kick specialists, Mehmet Scholl and Michael Tarnat, were off the pitch, and Effenberg decided that Andersson, who possessed a thunderous shot, should take it.

After an interminable delay, referee Markus Merk blew his whistle. Andersson started his run-up, Effenberg touched the ball into his path and the Sweden centre-back crashed a shot through the wall and into the bottom of the goal. Bayern were champions.

Andersson tore back down the pitch with his arms spread wide in celebration. A young Owen Hargreaves grasped vainly at the back of his shirt before the Swede was swamped by an ecstatic mass of Bayern team-mates, substitutes and staff members in front of the dugouts. It would be the first and last goal he scored for the club.

"It's like everything breaks," Andersson says. "You can't describe it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime feeling.

"The funny thing was to see all my team-mates running around in different directions. Then seeing the stand with [Bayern president Franz] Beckenbauer and [Bayern vice-president Karl-Heinz] Rummenigge, and then the bench with Hoeness, Hitzfeld and the players. Players running around the pitch, players in suits running onto the pitch. Unbelievable."

Andersson would go on to win the Champions League with Bayern four days later following a 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Valencia in Milan before leaving the club to join Barcelona. He cites that Champions League triumph and Sweden's third-placed finish at the 1994 FIFA World Cup as his finest career achievements, but as an individual moment, nothing comes close to that afternoon in Hamburg.

"It made me immortal in Munich," he says. "When you speak to fans who were in the stadium or watching the game [on television], they can describe what they were doing and where they were. Because it's such a strong moment.

"Some people at Bayern—Beckenbauer, Hoeness, Hitzfeld—have achieved a lot through their lives, but this occasion, I don't think you can compare it with anything."

Along with Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, former Arsenal midfielder Michael Thomas and ex-Bordeaux winger Pascal Feindouno, Andersson is part of an elite band of professional footballers who know how it feels to score a title-winning goal in the dying moments of the season's final game.

Last-gasp or not, the title-winning goal is a rare beast. As an example, since the Premier League was launched 27 years ago, there have only been eight instances of an individual player scoring the decisive goal (or goals) that took their club over the line in the title race.

Just as often, clubs that win league championships are indebted to a player from another team for producing a performance that thwarts the ambitions of their title rivals. No Blackburn Rovers fan will ever forget the role played by former West Ham United goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko in keeping Manchester United at bay on the final day of the 1994-95 campaign, while Eden Hazard's dramatic equaliser for Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur in May 2016 means he will always have a special place in the hearts of Leicester City supporters.

Long-serving Oldham Athletic midfielder, Nicky Henry, retired from football in 2002 without having won any major honours, but a goal he scored on a sunny spring day in May 1993 helped to change the course of English football history.

Henry was a member of the Oldham team that visited Aston Villa in the third-last round of games in the Premier League's inaugural season. Villa were vying for the title with Manchester United, who were not in action, and they had to win to keep the pressure on Alex Ferguson's side. Complicating matters for Villa was the fact that Oldham had to win every one of their final three games if they were to stand any chance of avoiding relegation.

After a strong start by Villa, the visitors took the lead on the half-hour when a loose touch by Oldham striker Darren Beckford fell invitingly for the overlapping Henry, who drilled a first-time shot into the bottom-right corner with his left foot.

"The ball was going into Beckford, and I just made a run, hoping to get a pass," Henry tells Bleacher Report.

"Nine times out of 10, you wouldn't. Luckily for me, he had an unbelievable touch—well, a bad touch—and it came into my path. It was on my weaker side, but I managed to strike it in the corner past [Mark] Bosnich."

With the game being shown live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, United fans up and down the country spent the second half desperately willing Joe Royle's side to hold on to their slender lead. When the final whistle sounded at Villa Park, United's 26-year wait for the title came to an end, and Henry found himself the toast of Manchester.

Henry hailed from a tribe of Liverpool fans, and his goal elicited a mixed response within his own family. "They were obviously pleased, but they made it known that they wished I hadn't scored," he says. Nevertheless, his goal kept Oldham's survival hopes alive and they went on to pull off an improbable escape from the drop by beating Liverpool and Southampton in their last two games.

"I was glad I scored," Henry says. "You don't think about it at the time, but as the years go on, you think about it, and it does fill you with pride that you had a say in the title race."

United showed Henry no charity in return when their paths crossed in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium a year later. With Oldham standing on the brink of a first-ever FA Cup final appearance after taking a 1-0 lead in extra time, a goal by Mark Hughes in the last minute sent the game to a replay, which Ferguson's men won at a canter.

So had things worked out differently, would Henry have preferred to see Villa win the title?

"I'd have preferred Liverpool," he says with a laugh. "But, yeah, Villa all day. Definitely."

Bayern Munich star Arjen Robben has admitted he may retire from the sport at the end of the season, saying it would be the easiest option once he leaves Bavaria. 

The 35-year-old winger is set to end his decade-long tenure with the club this summer, and due to injuries, has yet to make a decision on his next move. Per Goal's Matt Dorman, he hopes to make his decision in the coming weeks:

"I'm late in making a decision, but that has to do with my injury. I wanted to get back on the pitch and then think about my future. I hope to make a decision within one or two weeks, but I can't promise anything.

"It's not an easy choice to make. The whole package has to be right, not just in a footballing sense but also for my family. The easiest thing to do would be to stop. That is also an option for me, but I'm not sure whether I will do that."

Robben has only made seven Bundesliga starts this season, as several injuries sidelined him during his final season at the Allianz Arena.

He's not the only longtime Bayern star set to leave this summer, as fellow winger Franck Ribery and defender Rafinha will also be moving on:

The Dutchman arrived in Germany in 2009 after spells with Chelsea and Real Madrid, and he took his play to another level with Bayern.

While he had long been known as a great dribbler, he became a much more capable scorer in Germany, scoring double-digit goals in six of his Bundesliga campaigns.

Here are some of his best for the Rekordmeister:

Robben has won seven Bundesliga titles and could add an eighth on Saturday with a draw or win against Eintracht Frankfurt. Bayern lead Borussia Dortmund by two points in the standings, and BVB will face Borussia Monchengladbach in their final outing.

He has also won the DFB Pokal four times―and could add a fifth if Bayern beat RB Leizpig in this year's final on May 25―and the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League, arguably the biggest achievement of his career.

In an all-German final at Wembley Stadium, Robben scored the winner in a 2-1 triumph over Dortmund:

While there are undoubtedly many clubs who could use Robben's experience and ability to score, his multiple injuries in the 2018-19 season are cause for concern.

Robben has played football at the senior level for nearly two decades, so it's fair to wonder just how much he has left in the tank at this stage of his career.

RB Leipzig chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff has said the club have yet to be approached by Bayern Munich regarding a possible transfer involving the team's star striker, Timo Werner, and the player may even prefer a switch to Liverpool, Paris-Saint Germain or Borussia Dortmund.

The Germany international has been the subject of much speculation this season and has just one year remaining on his contract with Leipzig.

Mintzlaff was asked about a potential Bayern approach, and he said Leipzig haven't heard anything from the Munich giants and that the club haven't given up hope of Werner staying, per Sport Bild (h/t James Westwood of Goal).

"We have not talked to Bayern about Werner yet," he said. "It was important for us what Werner wants. It was legitimate for a young player like Werner to spend time deciding on his future. Maybe Timo will tell us after the Cup final: 'Come on, I'll extend that by two more years'."

Per Sky Sports (h/t Mirror's Matt Maltby), he added Werner may prefer other clubs to the Bavarians: "Maybe he doesn’t even want to go to Munich. Maybe he would rather join (Thomas) Tuchel in Paris, (Jurgen) Klopp at Liverpool or (Lucien) Favre at Dortmund."

Leipzig have ensured UEFA Champions League qualification for the 2019-20 season, and since the winter break they have arguably been the best team in the Bundesliga.

Their 0-0 draw with Bayern on Saturday continued their remarkable unbeaten run—the last time they were defeated in any competition was against title-chasing Borussia Dortmund on January 19.

They could yet win silverware, too, as they will meet Bayern in the DFB-Pokal final on 25 May.

Werner's goals have been crucial to their performances, as he's netted 16 times in the German top flight this season. The striker recently reached a half-century of strikes for his side:

Earlier this season, the Bundesliga Twitter account commented on Werner's ability to net different types of goals:

While Bayern are in a strong position to be crowned champions again this season—they go into the final weekend two points clear of Borussia Dortmund—it's anticipated the club will undergo a significant rebuild in the summer.

Already it's been confirmed winger Franck Ribery will leave, while Bayern have also secured young defenders for next season in the form of Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard.

Robert Lewandowski remains one of the most lethal goalscorers in European football, but given he's now 30 years old, it wouldn't be a shock to see Bayern move for a younger option in the form of 23-year-old Werner.

With just one year left on his contract, the striker would also represent excellent value for money:

Other clubs will be eyeing such a great value signing as well, however.

Liverpool took another step forward during the 2018-19 campaign, contending for the Premier League title until the final matchday. A lack of depth in the attacking third became evident during the final weeks of the season, with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah playing too many minutes and looking exhausted at times as a result. 

Football Whispers' Sam McGuire highlighted the need for another forward:

The Reds value versatility, and Werner has spent time in a wide role this season, even if his best position is as a central striker.

PSG have kept a close eye on the Bundesliga in recent years, signing the likes of Thilo Kehrer, Kevin Trapp and Julian Draxler, as well as adding manager Thomas Tuchel. Star striker Edinson Cavani has shown no signs of slowing down, but El Matador is 32 years old, so the French champions should start looking for a long-term replacement.

Werner has been a tremendous player for Leipzig since arriving from Stuttgart in 2016 and has been important to the side cementing their status as one of Germany's best outfits. Losing him for a knockdown price would be disappointing for Mintzlaff and incoming manager Julian Nagelsmann.

However, Bayern have made a habit of snapping up the best young stars in the Bundesliga, and with little sign of Werner agreeing to an extension with Leipzig, it would be a shock if the forward didn't end up at the Allianz Arena next term.

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has described the decision to disallow Leon Goretzka's goal against RB Leipzig on Saturday in the Bundesliga as "the joke of the year."

Goretzka fired home from inside the penalty early in the second half, but the goal was chalked off after referee Manuel Grafe had consulted the video assistant referee, leaving Hoeness unimpressed with the decision, per Goal's Sean Wilson.

He said: "The so-called offside is the joke of the year, it was not a clear wrong decision, the VAR is there to correct clear wrong decisions. They were level."

Football on BT Sport showed the incident (UK only):

Bayern could only draw 0-0 at the Red Bull Arena in their penultimate league game of the season and missed the chance to clinch the Bundesliga title for the seventh year in a row.

Goretzka offered his verdict after the match:

However, manager Niko Kovac agreed with the decision to disallow the goal:

The result means Bayern stay top of the table and are two points clear of Borussia Dortmund in second place going into the final day:

Bayern can now secure the league title in a week's time against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena. The hosts need just a point to be crowned champions because of their superior goal difference.

If Kovac's side were to lose, then Borussia Dortmund could snatch the title away by beating Borussia Monchengladbach in their final fixture.

Yet Bayern will be confident of picking up their 28th Bundesliga title. They won 3-0 at Frankfurt in December and have not lost at home in the league since November.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has ruled out the possibility of on-loan defender Achraf Hakimi making an early return to parent club Real Madrid.

The full-back joined the Bundesliga side on a two-year loan in summer 2018, and Zorc says he is fully expecting him to remain at Dortmund and see out his contract, per Manu de Juan at AS.

"I think it's outside out of the question. We have had contact, his representative was here for a visit. There is no scenario in which he is not playing for Borussia Dortmund next season." 

Hakimi has made an impact in his first season at Dortmund, including winning the Bundesliga Rookie of the Month Award for September and November:

He went on to make 28 appearances in all competitions for the club but saw his season ended prematurely in April by a broken metatarsal:

Hakimi has spoken about his future and appeared keen to return to Real Madrid before his two-year loan deal ends. 

He told Spanish television channel #Vamos (h/t AS): "It would be a dream to be back at Madrid as soon as possible. I'd be lying if I said otherwise. We'll see what happens."

Zidane has been keeping tabs on Hakimi since returning to the club for a second spell as manager and is keen for him to return provide competition for Marcelo, according to De Juan.

Marcelo has struggled for form this season with Los Blancos and has been outshone by 22-year-old Sergio Reguilon. However, the Brazilian appears to be back in favour since Zidane's return.

Meanwhile, Reguilon is one of three players, including Marcos Llorente and Dani Ceballos, who could be pushed towards a Real Madrid exit due to a lack of game time, according to Pablo Polo at Marca.

Hakimi's loan had been a success for both clubs and the defender before his injury, as he was playing regularly and at a good level. Real Madrid may want to bring him back for next season, but Zorc's comments suggest they may struggle to convince Dortmund to let the youngster leave before his deal ends.