Jadon Sancho Transfer Rumours: Dortmund 'Adamant' Star Will Not Leave in January
Jan 8, 2020
MARBELLA, SPAIN - JANUARY 07: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund looks on during a friendly match between Borussia Dortmund and Standard Liege on January 7, 2020 in Marbella, Spain. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Borussia Dortmund are reportedly "adamant" Jadon Sancho will not switch clubs in January amid rumours linking the England international with Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
According to Sky in Germany (h/t Sky Sports), BVB do not believe they could find an adequate replacement during the January window, and as a result, they will not sanction a sale. A summer transfer remains likely, however.
The report does not come as a surprise, with few rumours swirling around the 19-year-old early in the January window.
Per the Daily Mail (h/t Anfield Watch) and The Sun's Duncan Wright, both the Reds and Blues do not have plans for him:
EXC: Not the news Chelsea fans will want, but club have cooled interest in Sancho for this month at least. A striker is a higher priority- https://t.co/9yWugUyhWv@TheSunFootball
Sancho has been a regular for Dortmund so far this season, starting 14 Bundesliga matches. He has already scored nine goals and added nine assists and is well on track to set career-high marks in both categories.
Here's a look at some of his highlights so far:
His exceptional development and sky-high potential have made him a popular transfer target, and he's expected to be a hot commodity when he becomes available.
Sancho left the Manchester City academy for the Signa Iduna Park in 2017, a bold move that has paid off in a big way. He needed little time to get settled in Germany and has developed at a rapid pace since making his Bundesliga debut, playing his first minutes for the national team less than a year later.
The speedster's current contract doesn't include a buyout clause and will run until 2022. That gives Dortmund plenty of leverage in transfer talks, and with seemingly every top club in Europe expressing some interest, Die Schwarzgelben will hope they can start a bidding war.
Standard's Dimitri Lavalee and Dortmund's Jadon Sancho fight for the ball during a friendly soccer game between Belgian team Standard de Liege and German club Borussia Dortmund at their the winter training camps in Marbella, Spain, Tuesday 07 January 2020
A January sale makes little sense, however. Barring catastrophic injury, Sancho's value shouldn't go down between now and summer, and Dortmund need the teenager at his best for the rest of the campaign.
The team has not enjoyed a great first half of the season domestically and sit in fourth place in the Bundesliga, tied with fifth-placed Schalke on points. Competition for a top-four spot and a ticket to the Champions League is tight, with eighth-placed Freiburg just four points back.
Erling Haaland Says Borussia Dortmund's Plan 'Triggered' Transfer Choice
Jan 7, 2020
MARBELLA, SPAIN - JANUARY 06: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Erling Braut Haaland of Borussia Dortmund looks on during day one of the Borussia Dortmund winter training camp on January 06, 2020 in Marbella, Spain. (Photo by TF-Images/Bongarts/Getty Images)
New Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland has said the club's plan for his development "triggered" him to sign for them over potential transfer rivals.
The Norwegian has blossomed into one of the most exciting young players in European football this season, having excelled in the UEFA Champions League for Red Bull Salzburg.
Unsurprisingly, there was plenty of speculation regarding the striker, with the likes of Manchester United and RB Leipzig linked with a possible January move. However, Haaland made the switch to Dortmund and has outlined his thinking behind opting for the Westfalenstadion.
"They just went direct and said, 'We need you upfront, we like your playing style and we want to have you here'," he said, per Sacha Pisani of Goal. "I liked how they spoke to me then, and that's what triggered me [to sign]. I just felt that me and Dortmund was a good match."
Haaland's agent, Mino Raiola, said it was United who held the most talks with the striker. "Clearly he felt that at this moment it was not the right step in his career," he added. "There is nothing against Manchester United or [manager] Ole Gunnar Solskjaer."
Dortmund will be pleased to have signed Haaland, as this season he has proved he can find the net at the highest level. BT Sport looked back at some of his best moments from the UEFA Champions League this season:
16 league goals ⚽️ Debut Champions League hat-trick 🔥 Just 19 years old 😱
Haaland's decision does seem like a sensible one, given Dortmund are considered to be one of the best developers of young players in the world.
In recent years, the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic have honed their skills with BVB before departing for big money to Barcelona and Chelsea, respectively.
At 19 years old, the striker is still in the early stages of his career and has rough parts of his game that require refinement. Dortmund will be a fantastic environment for him to continue that process, as opposed to the huge pressure that comes with playing for a juggernaut like Manchester United.
The goalscoring potency of Haaland will help streamline any adaptation process:
United would have been disappointed to miss out on a talent like Haaland, especially given they have yet to sign a centre-forward to replace Romelu Lukaku, who joined Inter Milan in the summer.
However, Haaland appears to have made a sensible choice by moving to Dortmund, and it'll be fascinating to monitor the next steps in his young career. They will return to competitive football after the winter break on January 18, as they visit Augsburg in the Bundesliga.
Jadon Sancho Transfer Rumours: Dortmund to Listen to Bids After Haaland Signing
Dec 30, 2019
SINSHEIM, GERMANY - DECEMBER 20: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund looks dejected during the Bundesliga match between TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund at PreZero-Arena on December 20, 2019 in Sinsheim, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Borussia Dortmund are reportedly ready to listen to offers for their winger Jadon Sancho, with Manchester United said to be in the hunt for the starlet.
According to Paul Hirst and Ian Whittell of TheTimes, the Bundesliga side are ready to sell the England international in the summer, with his current deal at the Westfalenstadion poised to expire at the end of the 2021-22 term.
"Dortmund are likely to ask for more than £100 million for him, and he will not be short of suitors. United, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Barcelona would all be interested in signing him," continued the report. "Under the terms of Sancho’s departure from City, they have the right to match any successful bid for him."
In the report, it's said the signing of Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg for Dortmund is likely to have "repercussions for Sancho's future."
Sancho is reported to be "intrigued" by the prospect of a move to La Liga "but he would be interested in talking to United too."
Since moving to Dortmund from City in 2017, the youngster has made huge strides and is now regarded as one of the best prospects in European football. As such, it would be no surprise to see Dortmund hold out for a huge sum before selling.
Per Scouted Football, in terms of his productivity, the 19-year-old is making further improvements:
Jadon Sancho in the 2018-19 Bundesliga before the winter break:
• 17 appearances • 6 goals • 7 assists
Jadon Sancho in the 2019-20 Bundesliga before the winter break:
Dortmund have developed a reputation for being the home of some of European football's most talented young players. With that in mind, it's no surprise Haaland opted to make the switch to the German giants ahead of some other high-profile outfits.
Speaking toJason Burtof theDaily Telegraph, Haaland's agent, Mino Raiola, said the young forward was also a target for United, but he chose to make the switch to Dortmund instead.
In Sancho, United appear to be in the middle of the hunt for one of Europe's other top prospects. Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette said he'd be happy to see the club spend big money on the winger:
McTominay's injury and Greenwood's form dictates #MUFC must now focus on a January midfield signings. Break the bank for Maddison & Sancho. Almost impossible to sign in Jan, but these are the player types Utd need to bolster the squad. Time for Woodward to do his job.
At this stage of his career, Sancho would potentially benefit from a move, as he's proven himself capable of shining in the German top flight, the UEFA Champions League and on the international stage too.
For United, securing his talents will be a challenge, especially with so many other clubs said to be interested. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be desperate to see his side qualify for the Champions League next term and give the club the best chance possible of landing the games' brightest rising stars.
Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund Agree to Contract Until June 2024
Dec 29, 2019
Borussia Dortmund announced the signing of Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg on Sunday on a contract that runs until June 2024.
The 19-year-old is one of Europe's most highly rated young strikers and has netted 16 goals in 14 league games for Salzburg and scored eight times in the UEFA Champions League in 2019-20.
Per Goal's Sam France, Dortmund paid €20 million (£17 million) for the teenager, who will link up with his new team-mates on January 3 before they head to Spain for a winter training camp.
Haaland was linked with several of Europe's top clubs prior to his move but said he had no doubts about joining the Bundesliga team, per the club's officialwebsite:
"I had several intense conversations with the club's management team, in particular with Hans-Joachim Watzke, Michael Zorc and coach Lucien Favre. Right from the very start, I knew I wanted to move here. I can't wait to get started and play in front of over 80,000 fans in the incredible Dortmund atmosphere. I'm so excited."
Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke spoke about how his club beat off competition from Europe's top teams to land the talented teenager: "Despite receiving numerous offers from some of the biggest clubs in Europe, Erling Haaland has decided that the best option for his career is to come and join our project here at BVB. Our persistence has paid off."
The 19-year-old will look to continue his upward trajectory at the German giants, who have a strong reputation for developing players and getting the best out of their youngsters.
Haaland will also add attacking power to Lucien Favre's side. He has been prolific both domestically and in Europe this term and has enjoyed a strong debut season in the UEFA Champions League:
Manchester United were reportedly interested in signing Haaland, but the Red Devils pulled out of the deal because of demands relating to a buyout clause and a percentage of future sales, according to theGuardian's Jamie Jackson:
Utd pulled out of E B Haaland deal due to demand from agent and father of player of future share of any sale and buyout clause, is the understanding. He’s now a Dortmund player...
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer worked with the striker at Molde but played down rumours his club would sign the teenager before Christmas, perJames Duckerat theTelegraph.
Bundesliga side RB Leipzig were also credited with an interest in the teenager, but the club'schief executive, Oliver Mintzlaff, told Sport1 that he expected his side to be priced out of a deal(h/tTony Moganat theEvening Standard).
The Independent's Melissa Reddy explained why she thinks Haaland made the right decision in joining Dortmund:
Very smart from Erling Haaland to follow the advice given to him by his family and Red Bull Salzburg to prioritise development above all else right now. A coup for Borussia Dortmund given RB Leipzig were in pole position for a while having made a big push for the teenager.
Dortmund fans will be hoping to get their first glimpse of their new signing when Favre's men play a friendly against Feyenoord in Marbella on January 11. They take on FC Augsburg when the Bundesliga resumes a week later.
Michael Zorc Rules out 'Fundamental' Jadon Sancho Leaving Borussia Dortmund
Dec 7, 2019
BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 30: Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and Borussia Dortmund at Olympiastadion on November 30, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has ruled out the possibility of Jadon Sancho leaving the club and said he remains "fundamental" to the team.
Sancho has been linked with a return to the Premier League in the January transfer window, but Zorc said on Saturday he does not see him going anywhere, per Dominic Booth at the Manchester Evening News:
"We're continuing to plan with him. He's a fundamental player for us and I do not see any scenario where he leaves us. We have already had some situations with him to talk about, and there have been a lot of interviews in the last few weeks. We are in a good way; when he came off the bench in Barcelona and also in Berlin, he gave us a top performance."
Sancho left Manchester City for Dortmund 2017 in search of regular football and has been a big hit with the Bundesliga side:
💫 @Sanchooo10 has now been directly involved in 52 goals in 75 appearances across all competitions for BVB.
His performances have seen him called into the senior England squad. He made his debut in their UEFA Nations League draw against Croatia in 2018 and scored his first international goals in a 5-3 win over Kosovo in September:
19 years, 170 days old and Jadon Sancho has his first England goal.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was asked about Sancho in a press conference in December and played down the speculation.
"He's a very good player," he said. "I have no clue where these kind of things [the rumours] are coming from, but it cannot come from us because we never speak about it."
The youngster is reportedly tempted by a transfer to Spain, and La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are both interested, according to The Times (h/t Lloyd Johnson at the Daily Express).
Sancho has had a few difficulties at Dortmund this season. He was dropped and fined by the club in October after returning late from international duty:
Jadon Sancho has been dropped and fined by Borussia Dortmund ahead of their clash with top-of-the-table Borussia Monchengladbach after reportedly returning back late from international duty.
Sancho was also reportedly benched for Dortmund's UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona after being "considerably late" for a team meeting, according to Bild (h/t Adam Shergold for MailOnline).
The recent disciplinary action from Dortmund had left Sancho feeling "feeling humiliated, scapegoated and unprotected," according to David Ornstein at The Athletic.
There is a suggestion that Sancho may be willing to leave Dortmund, although Zorc has made it clear the club are not interested in selling one of their biggest assets.
Sancho's Dortmund deal runs until summer 2022, but if he continues to produce the goods on the pitch, they may struggle to hold on to him if the top clubs come calling.
Jadon Sancho January Exit Not Being Planned, Says Borussia Dortmund Chief
Nov 29, 2019
BARCELONA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 27: Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund gestures during the UEFA Champions League group F match between FC Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund at Camp Nou on November 27, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has moved to quash rumours that Jadon Sancho could leave the club in January.
The Englishman started as a substitute on Wednesday for BVB's UEFA Champions League clash with Barcelona, but he came off the bench and scored a classy consolation in the 3-1 loss at the Camp Nou:
Reports emerged afterward that the 19-year-old had been dropped from the starting XI after arriving late for both the pre-match team briefing and training:
Sportschau indicating Jadon Sancho not only was late to the team meeting, but also the team breakfast and training too. #BVB
He has previously been suspended by Dortmund for arriving late back from international duty in October, and he was also substituted after just 36 minutes in their recent 4-0 loss to Bayern Munich.
After the loss to Barca, reports have subsequently emerged that Sancho wants to leave Dortmund in the new year and the German club are prepared to listen to offers, per Miguel Delaney of The Independent.
However, Zorc has now dismissed those claims and said recent issues have been dealt with in-house:
Michael Zorc plays down Jadon Sancho Borussia Dortmund exit: "I think Jadon did a good job when he came in. I don't get the impression that a winter transfer is being planned." #BVB
While rumours have been swirling around Sancho, and his relationship with Dortmund has been questioned, his form has continued to be impeccable.
The England international has picked up in 2019-20 where he left of last term, netting four goals and providing six assists in 10 Bundesliga appearances:
Jadon Sancho’s Borussia Dortmund career by numbers so far:
While he may not leave in January, it has long been expected the current campaign will be Sancho's last at Dortmund.
Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid are all in the running to sign him, per David Ornstein of The Athletic.
The prestige of the clubs linked with the winger is an indication of just how highly rated he is across Europe.
It is also another hint that a January exit is unlikely for Sancho, as big-money, high-profile transfers are rarely completed in the winter window due to time constraints and the fact the season is still running.
Lucien Favre Says Jadon Sancho Was Benched vs. Barcelona Due to Lack of Focus
Nov 28, 2019
DORTMUND, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 22: Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund looks on during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and SC Paderborn 07 at Signal Iduna Park on November 22, 2019 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Jadon Sancho was benched for Borussia Dortmund's 3-1 UEFA Champions League loss against Barcelona on Wednesday because the German club "needed players that were really focused," according to manager Lucien Favre.
The Englishman came off the bench at half-time at the Camp Nou when Dortmund were 2-0 down following Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi's first half-goals:
Several reports have indicated Sancho started as a substitute as a punishment for lateness:
Sportschau indicating Jadon Sancho not only was late to the team meeting, but also the team breakfast and training too. #BVB
After Antoine Griezmann got Barca's third, Sancho scored BVB's 77th-minute consolation, finishing brilliantly following some neat footwork on the edge of the box:
4 – Jadon Sancho has become just the fourth different Englishman to score a Champions League goal against Barcelona at Camp Nou, after Andy Cole, Steve McManaman and Frank Lampard. Consolation. #UCLpic.twitter.com/tOGsiQS4m0
In the wake of the defeat, Sancho told reporters he was "not allowed to speak" about the situation.
Favre hinted the reason he started Sancho on the bench was because the 19-year-old was not fully focused:
"I explained to him [why he wasn't starting] before the game. I told him it was a really difficult game here in Barcelona, and we needed players that were really focused and that went on to the pitch really focused."
The Athletic's David Ornstein reported last week that Sancho had been left "feeling humiliated, scapegoated and unprotected" by Dortmund following public criticism from Favre and sporting director Michael Zorc, and his early substitution in the 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.
Favre's latest comments, and the fact he left Sancho on the bench for one of BVB's biggest games of the season, are unlikely to make the teenager feel any better.
It is not as though Sancho's form in 2019-20 make him deserving of a great deal of criticism.
In the Bundesliga, he has four goals and six assists in 10 appearances this term, a combined contribution better than any other player in the Dortmund squad.
After a breakout season in 2018-19, when he scored 12 league goals and provided 14 assists, the London-born winger continues to produce numbers that would be impressive even for a player in the prime of their career:
Jadon Sancho’s Borussia Dortmund career by numbers so far:
Yet Dortmund appear to be doing little to keep him happy at the club. If anything, they seem to be actively trying to push Sancho away.
The loss to Barca means BVB must better Inter Milan's result on the final matchday of the group stage in order to qualify out of Group F.
The German club host Slavia Prague, while Inter welcome Barca, who are already guaranteed top spot, to the San Siro.
Report: Jadon Sancho Feels 'Humiliated' by Dortmund Amid Transfer Rumours
Nov 24, 2019
DORTMUND, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 22: Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund controls the ball during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and SC Paderborn 07 at Signal Iduna Park on November 22, 2019 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Jadon Sancho has reportedly been left "feeling humiliated, scapegoated and unprotected" by Borussia Dortmund after recent reprimands from the club's hierarchy.
According to David Ornstein in The Athletic, as well as being dropped and fined for returning late from international duty back in October, Sancho was particularly irked by being substituted in the 36th minute of Dortmund's recent 4-0 loss to Bayern Munich, which manager Lucien Favre said was due to a performance that was "not good enough."
Ornstein added the 19-year-old's camp deemed the Bayern substitution "disgraceful," and they are aware of keen interest in the winger from Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid ahead of a likely exit from Dortmund in the summer of 2020.
In Friday's 3-3 draw at home against Paderborn in the Bundesliga, BVB's first game since they were thrashed by Bayern, Sancho's form did not appear to have been affected by his dissatisfaction.
He engineered Dortmund's comeback from 3-0 down at half-time, scoring in the 47th minute and setting up Marco Reus for his stoppage-time equaliser:
What a crazy night in Dortmund 😮
Bottom of the league Paderborn found themselves 3-0 up at half-time...
But Jadon Sancho sparked a revival before providing the assist for Marco Reus to equalise in stoppage time!
The England international now has four goals and six assists in 10 league games in 2019-20 to add to the 14 assists and 12 goals he registered last term.
Sancho is not only one of the most exciting young players in Europe, he is arguably Dortmund's most important player.
As such, it is baffling that the club's leaders have opted to publicly chastise him recently.
Favre and sporting director Michael Zorc both publicly criticised the teenager when he returned late from England duty, and per Ornstein, club chiefs have twice asked Sancho's representatives if he will look to move in January.
All Dortmund appear to be achieving is to push one of their star assets, who signed a new contract in August, closer to the exit door and encourage his high-profile suitors.
After drawing with Paderborn, Dortmund are now sixth in the German top flight and visit Hertha Berlin in their next league game.
Before that, they face a crucial UEFA Champions League Group F clash against Barcelona on Wednesday at the Camp Nou.
Marco Reus 'Ashamed' of 'Absolute S--t' Borussia Dortmund Draw with Paderborn
Nov 23, 2019
Dortmund's German forward Marco Reus reacts during the German first division Bundesliga football match Borussia Dortmund v SC Paderborn in Dortmund, western Germany, on November 22, 2019. (Photo by INA FASSBENDER / AFP) / RESTRICTIONS: DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo by INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images)
Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus slammed his team's performance in their 3-3 draw with Paderborn on Friday.
Reus bagged an injury-time equaliser as BVB completed a comeback from 3-0 down at Signal Iduna Park:
After the match, Reus told DAZN (h/t Goal's Jamie Smith): "We can never play like that again. We don't know what happened there. We are ashamed; we must never perform like that again. That was all absolute s--t."
The German added that he and his team-mates bear responsibility for the first-half performance, not manager Lucien Favre:
"The coach puts us in a great position every time. We're responsible for putting our performance on the pitch, and we do not have to talk about the coach, but about us.
"If 80,000 people come here on a Friday night, we cannot offer that."
Bundesliga content manager Alex Chaffer enjoyed Reus' honest assessment of the match:
Refreshing to hear a captain talk like that. Fighting back from 0-3 down to earn a point is no mean feat, no matter who you’re playing. Reus and Dortmund not satisfied, but a memorable night for Paderborn.
Streli Mamba finished from close range to give the visitors the lead, before latching onto a ball over the top to double their tally. Gerrit Holtmann made it 3-0 before half-time.
As Bundesliga writer Jonathan Harding noted, Dortmund had every reason to be unhappy with their performance early on:
Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe gave his take on the proceedings:
Slowest CB tandem in history in high line + no coordinated off ball pressure. Ripped apart. Brandt helped change game, Paderborn tired and played so badly late on. Reus scored equaliser but was quite poor
Although they'll be pleased to have salvaged a point from where they were at half-time, it's understandable Dortmund are disappointed with the performance, having been beaten 4-0 by Bayern Munich in their last match before the international break.
That their performance came against Paderborn, who had just four points from their first 11 matches, will make it even more frustrating.
Dortmund travel to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
Barca were unconvincing as they scraped past Leganes 2-1 on Saturday, but they've scored 35 goals in 13 La Liga matches this season—the German side can't afford to defend as poorly as they did on Friday.
BVB 2025: Borussia Dortmund's Plans to Future-Proof Their Transfer Tactics
Nov 21, 2019
It is a grey morning in Dortmund.
Autumnal rain falls from the sky, orange leaf mulch coats the slick pavements and the wheels of the vehicles thundering past on the Rheinlanddamm send spray fizzing into the air. But inside the Borussia Dortmund offices, housed in a modern, six-storey grey-brick building southwest of the city centre, the mood is as bright as the bold shade of yellow that adorns the club crest.
The previous evening, at a fervent Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund stormed back from 2-0 down at half-time to beat Inter Milan 3-2, keeping their hopes of progressing from the UEFA Champions League group phase in their own hands.
Achraf Hakimi was Dortmund's saviour, scoring the goal that halved Inter's lead and then tucking away the home side's 77th-minute winner, and his starring role in the night's events is of particular satisfaction to the club's chief scout, Markus Pilawa.
Hakimi was 16 and making his way through Real Madrid's youth setup when Pilawa first started watching him. Although some members of Dortmund's scouting department expressed reservations about the Moroccan youngster's defensive qualities, Pilawa was transfixed by his pace and courage on the ball.
The process of recruiting Hakimi was long and painstaking. Dortmund's scouts watched him for three years as he progressed through Madrid's youth teams to the reserve side and first team. There was regular contact with his agent, Alejandro Camano, who was asked to keep the club abreast of his client's plans.
In June 2018, Pilawa went to Geneva with Lucien Favre, who had been appointed Dortmund's head coach a couple of weeks previously, to watch Hakimi play for Morocco in a FIFA World Cup warm-up game against Slovakia. Sitting alongside each other in the stands at Stade de Geneve, the pair discreetly conducted a running commentary on Hakimi's performance, weighing up the pros and cons of taking a punt on the gambolling right-back. A month later, he signed for Dortmund on a two-year loan deal.
Hakimi's first season in the Ruhr valley was not without its difficult moments, but when trusting young players is part of your club's DNA, that simply comes with the territory.
"Last season, there were three or four games in a row where he made big mistakes that cost a lot of points," Pilawa tells Bleacher Report. "But I expected it. If you sign young players, they don't have full quality in every skill. You have to know that there will be some games where it will cost you points. But you make a balanced evaluation. It's risk and reward."
Dortmund have taken risks with a succession of promising young footballers over the past 15 years, and the rewards have been considerable.
As is so often the case, necessity was the mother of invention, with Dortmund's near-bankruptcy in 2005 obliging the club to clear high-earning, experienced professionals from the books and promote young players to take their place.
Jurgen Klopp's penchant for fast, high-energy football meant that he was more than happy to work with a youthful squad following his appointment as head coach in 2008, and together with Dortmund's former chief talent-spotter, Sven Mislintat, and sporting director Michael Zorc, they built a team that won back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012 and reached the Champions League final in 2013.
Dortmund's policy of signing young players cheaply, giving them first-team exposure and then selling them on for massive profits has made the club a byword for transfer success, with Shinji Kagawa, Ilkay Gundogan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ousmane Dembele and Christian Pulisic just some of the players to have trodden that particular path in recent years.
In turn, the lure of regular playing time, Champions League football and a consistently full, vibrant stadium has turned Dortmund into one of the most attractive destinations in Europe for the game's leading young talents.
"I knew what to expect when I signed here," Dortmund winger Thorgan Hazard told Bleacher Report after the win over Inter. "It's a team that's used to playing in big matches, going far in the Champions League and competing for the Bundesliga. It was for matches like this that I decided to join."
German football journalist Uli Hesse, author of Building the Yellow Wall: The Incredible Rise and Cult Appeal of Borussia Dortmund, calls Dortmund's approach to recruiting young players "a self-fulfilling philosophy."
Zorc has described Dortmund's attempts to keep pace with Europe's big-spending super clubs as being like a Ford Mustang trying to overtake a Ferrari. But although Dortmund continue to clock impressive speeds, narrowly failing to pip Bayern Munich to the chequered flag in the Bundesliga last season, rival teams have figured out what is going on beneath their bonnet and are replicating the engineering for themselves.
As clubs around Europe look to ape the Dortmund model, the market for young footballers has become more competitive than ever. It is moving scouts such as Pilawa to look at talented 15- and 16-year-olds not as promising prospects but as players who might be first-team ready in only one or two years' time.
"There is a big, big hype for 16-year-olds," he says during an interview in an airy meeting room on the third floor of the Dortmund offices. "One-and-a-half years ago, a 16-year-old guy [Pietro Pellegri] went from Genoa to Monaco for €25 million. Sixteen and a half years old.
"The battle for young talent is incredible, and in the next few years it will increase. Signing players at the age of 16 will be a big, big fight, because you know once they reach 20, a lot of clubs will not be able to pay the fees for them.
"Players who are 20 years old like Matthijs de Ligt or Frenkie de Jong, you can't afford them at Borussia Dortmund. They cost €70 million to €100 million. Joao Felix, €125 million. [Bayer Leverkusen's Kai] Havertz will also be over €100 million. Even Bayern Munich are struggling with fees of €100 million."
Faced with the increased competition for young players, Dortmund are investing, beefing up their video scouting department and spending €20 million to renovate the club's Hohenbuschei training facility in the Brackel district east of the city centre. The need to think outside the box, meanwhile, has prompted the club to focus more resources on relatively unexplored player markets in the United States and Asia to try to find the next Pulisic or Kagawa.
There are high hopes for Gio Reyna—son of former United States internationals Claudio Reyna and Danielle Egan Reyna—who joined Dortmund from New York City in July. In an example of the careful manner with which Dortmund ease their young players into first-team action, the 17-year-old attacking midfielder has been playing with the club's under-19s while he adapts to his new surroundings (and attempts to get to grips with the language) but is due to be promoted to the senior squad for their winter training camp in Marbella.
As with all of Dortmund's young players, Reyna has been following a detailed career development plan from the moment he signed. The document outlined what opportunities he would be given to train with the first team, when he could expect to be promoted to the first-team squad, what positions he would be asked to play in and even who his rivals for a starting place would be.
Mindful of the potential value of their teenage recruits and conscious of the huge psychological pressures that exist in the modern game, Dortmund have also moved to place greater emphasis on the pastoral care that their young players receive.
Former Dortmund midfielder Otto Addo was recruited from Borussia Monchengladbach in April this year to work as a talent coach, offering technical coaching support and ad hoc advice to players from the first team down to the under-16s. Oddo will meet players for informal dinners, take them through video analysis sessions, arrange extra training exercises on certain aspects of their game and advise them on their career plans. Pilawa says he is like "a friend, father and coach."
While youth will always be central to the Dortmund project, recent transfer windows have revealed a more pragmatic edge to the club's recruitment strategy. Experience was the order of the day in the summer of 2018, with seasoned holding midfielders Axel Witsel and Thomas Delaney the headline acquisitions, and that trend continued this year with the captures of 26-year-olds Hazard and Nico Schulz and, in particular, the return to Dortmund of 30-year-old centre-back Mats Hummels. The fearlessness of youth, it seems, can only take a team so far.
"Dortmund cannot be on an international level what Freiburg are on a national level," Hesse says. "They cannot be content with just nurturing young players and then selling them on for a profit. Because they want to win things. Dortmund want to win a trophy, and you probably can't do that with kids alone. That seems to be the lesson the club has learned."
The moves to bring in more experienced players reflect an acknowledgement behind the scenes at Dortmund that the squad's age profile was imbalanced, yet Pilawa says it would be wrong to see it as an abrupt change of direction. Older players like Hummels and Witsel will obviously bring know-how and a winning mentality to the first team, but they will also help to establish standards towards which their younger team-mates can aspire.
"It's very important to put in some experienced guys to lead the young players," explains Pilawa, who joined Dortmund from local rivals VfL Bochum in 2012. "We want to be champions, for sure, but our fans expect to see young players like Jadon [Sancho] and Hakimi because it's the DNA of the club. We try to combine it. Sometimes we put Mats Hummels in. Maybe next year it's Gio Reyna. We are not changing our philosophy. It's all about the structure of the team."
There would be even more youngsters clamouring for a place in the first-team squad were it not for the fact that the Dortmund academy is no longer turning out elite-level players at the rate it once did. Whereas Klopp's great Dortmund team featured home-grown stalwarts such as Mario Gotze, Nuri Sahin and Marcel Schmelzer, the production line has since slowed, meaning that most of the youthful talent in the squad has been imported from elsewhere.
Pilawa believes it is a "German problem" rather than something specific to Dortmund, expounding a theory that Germany has fallen behind countries such as England and France at youth level partly due to an absence of multi-ethnic football breeding grounds comparable to south London's cage football scene or the Parisian suburbs.
Youssoufa Moukoko, a 15-year-old Cameroonian-born striker who has been scoring goals for fun for Dortmund's youth teams, is one player on the club's books who has been earmarked to buck the trend.
"We're discussing in Germany what the problem is," Pilawa says. "Maybe we were focusing more on tactical things to develop the team and maybe not the individual player. Maybe we neglect the individual something that a Jadon Sancho or a Hakimi has. Hakimi is a team player, of course, but he's got something that you can't control. We haven't taught this certain something enough.
"In the next few years, it will be a big, big goal for us to change that and send a young Dortmund guy from the youth team to the first team."
The week of the victory over Inter ends with a one-sided 4-0 hammering at Bayern that leaves Dortmund six points off the pace in the Bundesliga title race and brings everyone at the club back down to earth. But away from prying eyes, in the club offices, in training-ground meeting rooms and on the pristine green pitches of the academy, the future is already taking shape.
