Borussia Dortmund

A former youth coach of Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho believes the youngster is only scratching the surface of his potential, and he can become a "maverick" player for England.

Louis Lancaster, who worked with the 19-year-old at Watford and is now manager of Chinese Taipei, told Sky Sports' Ron Walker he hasn't even shown one tenth of what he's capable of:

"I think he's going to continue to surprise people. His game is so fast-paced, it's very direct. When a player gets the ball, they've got a soft option, get the stats up, make the simple pass, or you can make it 75 per cent of the time but everything's forward. What you're seeing from Jadon is a 19-year-old boy with a lot of maturity.

"It's great that Gareth Southgate is giving the youth a chance, other countries use these flair players because they trust them—they can be a hero or a villain. They might not track that runner or something like that, but when it's the 89th minute, they might produce something magical.

[…] "I worked on my Pro Licence on 'what is a maverick? How do you get the best out of them?' I interviewed managers, players and mavericks themselves—and I interviewed Jadon. Even when he was younger he was completely fearless, and he always wanted to be the best player.

[…] "I'm extremely proud of what he's doing, but I don't even think you've seen one tenth of what's to come. He's going to keep pushing and pushing and pushing."

The star winger has started the Bundesliga campaign in fine form, scoring two goals and adding three assists already.

His dribbling and ability to create chances have been on full display:

Jadon Sancho per game in the Bundesliga this season:

3.7 successful take-ons
2.3 chances created
0.7 assists
0.7 goals

Ridiculous. 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/WgoCAwOlWs

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 3, 2019

Last season, he scored 12 goals and recorded 14 assists in the Bundesliga, but he already looks like he will smash those marks in the 2019-20 campaign.

The speedster's development has been incredible in the last few seasons. After leaving Manchester City for Dortmund in 2017, he broke out in a big way the following year and made his England debut in October 2018.

Here are his highlights from last season:

He'll contend for a starting position in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo, beginning against the former on Saturday. Competition for spots is fierce, with Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford having already proved their worth on the international stage.

Sterling is also coming off a fantastic season, scoring 17 Premier League goals, and he carries excellent form into the international break. In four outings, he has netted five times.

England have won both of their qualifying matches so far with ease, beating Czech Republic and Montenegro by a combined score of 10-1. Bulgaria sit in last place in Group A and are not expected to put up much resistance, while Kosovo have five points after three matches.

Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho has called on supporters to stop aiming racist abuse at footballers.

The 19-year-old's comments come after Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku was racially abused by Cagliari fans on Sunday.

Per the Daily Mail's Dominic King, Sancho said:

"It just has to stop. No player wants to play football and have abuse like that. It puts the confidence down in players and the love of the sport will go very soon if it doesn't stop. Everyone should be happy and do what they are doing without receiving racial abuse."

Lukaku is the latest high-profile footballer to suffer such abuse this season.

Manchester United duo Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford and Chelsea's Tammy Abraham have also been abused on social media after missing penalties for their sides.

Blues defender Kurt Zouma was abused after he scored an own goal in Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Sheffield United on Sunday.

Anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out released a statement:

Our statement after another player faced disgusting racist and discriminatory abuse on social media this weekend, simply for doing their job.

This behaviour has to stop. #KickItOut pic.twitter.com/ZHnb04ARnX

— Kick It Out (@kickitout) September 2, 2019

"I don't think it is social media," Sancho added. The Dortmund starlet urged fans to remember players are "still only human" and suggested there is a perception among some supporters that footballers' fame makes them immune to abuse.

"We just love the sport and just want to play," he continued. "It is hard to see things like this because it feels like 'why should we play football?' I felt that Romelu Lukaku handled it really well by not reacting and carrying on playing."

Lukaku took to Instagram on Monday to condemn the abuse he received at Cagliari:

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's 2019, instead of going forwards we're going backwards."

Romelu Lukaku responds to the racial abuse he suffered against Cagliari on Sunday night.

via IG/romelulukaku pic.twitter.com/OUMjQYE4P8

— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) September 2, 2019

Moise Kean was similarly abused by Cagliari supporters while playing for Juventus there in April. Bianconeri midfielder Blaise Matuidi said he was racially abused at the Sardinian club last year, while racist chants were also aimed at Inter's Samuel Eto'o in 2010.

ESPN's Matteo Bonetti called for Cagliari and all clubs to improve their ability to identify and ban those in the stadium abusing players:

Teams should be required to have a system of surveillance where they can properly identify and then give our life time bans to these idiots. While giving a stadium ban, fine or docking points will sting temporarily, these “fans” will find their way back into stadium eventually

— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) September 1, 2019

Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette gave his take on what can be done to tackle the issue online:

No one ever wanted to see the Internet policed. But we are entering a new phase of online presence. Twitter used to be a 'fun' platform, but it now holds incredible power in society. Twitter must evolve to tackle the challenges it faces, otherwise it'll lose its customers.

— Rob Blanchette (@_Rob_B) August 20, 2019

According to Martyn Ziegler of The Times, Twitter will monitor the accounts of around 50 high-profile black footballers in its efforts to combat abuse.

The social media platform is also being more "proactive" in reviewing racist tweets, where previously it would only do so when they had been reported.

Former Borussia Dortmund assistant coach Hendrie Kruzen has revealed the Germans tried to sign Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt in 2017.

Kruzen has worked as an assistant to Peter Bosz since his Maccabi Tel Aviv days, following him to Ajax, Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. In an interview with Goal's Jochen Tittmar and SPOX, he opened up on what went wrong at the Signal Iduna Park and how they tried to move for De Ligt:

"Maybe one [the club] should have kept a little more calm. They [the Dortmund hierarchy] saw that the style they wanted to play could work [under Bosz and Kruzen], especially after the great start. Of course, there were also personal reasons.

"When Lukasz Piszczek got injured, we had to make a lot of changes in the defence. Maybe we should have pushed for a high-profile new signing that summer.

"Unfortunately, when we had that difficult phase, as is often the case in professional football, we did not have the time to sort it out and to get new players in in the winter.

"We were already in talks with some of them, and those players were of a high calibre, even for a club like BVB. I don't know whether they would've definitely signed or not, but one of them went from Ajax to Juventus for a lot of money this summer."

Kruzen also placed De Ligt among the most talented players he has ever worked with, alongside Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Frenkie de Jong.

Bosz coached BVB for just five months in 2017, before he was replaced by Peter Stoger following a poor run of results.

De Ligt made his senior debut for Ajax during the 2016-17 campaign, quickly establishing himself as a star of the future. The centre-back started the UEFA Europa Cup final against Manchester United at the end of the season, despite being just 17 years old.

Transfer speculation soon started to surface, but he wouldn't leave the Netherlands until the summer of 2019, signing for Juventus.

Despite being the club's marquee signing, he started their first Serie A match of the season, against Parma, on the bench.

That came as a surprise to him, per AD (h/t Football Italia):

Matthijs de Ligt “didn’t expect” to be benched when #Juventus visited #Parma . “Naturally I would’ve preferred to play and I didn’t get any clues.” https://t.co/ImFgnKtSeN #ParmaJuve #SerieA #ParmaJuventus #Ajax pic.twitter.com/66qr5p1ApT

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) August 25, 2019

Juventus won 1-0 thanks to a goal from star defender Giorgio Chiellini, who paired with Leonardo Bonucci in a shutout performance:

Dortmund purchased another talented youngster during the 2018 January transfer window, investing in FC Basel's Manuel Akanji. The 24-year-old has developed into one of the Bundesliga's best centre-backs and is Mats Hummels' regular playing partner.

In Dan-Axel Zagadou and Leonardo Balerdi, BVB have plenty more young talent at the position.

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said he is aware Jadon Sancho will not stay at the Bundesliga club forever amid rumours linking the Englishman with Manchester United.

Sancho, 19, moved to Dortmund from Manchester City in 2017 after being denied first-team opportunities by manager Pep Guardiola.

In 2018-19, he enjoyed a breakout season, scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists as BVB finished second in the Bundesliga:

Across Europe's top five leagues, only Eden Hazard (15) registered more assists last season than Jadon Sancho (14).

He's still a teenager. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/SA1YaCxpPO

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) June 6, 2019

He also earned a first call-up to the senior England side and now has six international caps.

Unsurprisingly, Sancho has been linked with some of the world's top clubs, including Manchester United by ESPN's Mark Ogden and Real Madrid by Bild (h/t AS). 

Dortmund look to have kept hold of him at least for one more season, but Watzke is under no illusions that Sancho will stay at the Westfalenstadion forever, per Ruhr Nachrichten (h/t Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN FC):

"There aren't many 19-year-olds with such a potential. He is also not a player from the region or one who would have any connection to it. When you have a player like Jadon Sancho, you must reassess the situation every single year. Everything else would not be honest. If a foreign player is not convinced that the club is right for him at the exact time, it just does not make any sense."

Watzke further explained how he has warded off interest in Sancho: "A chief of one of the super clubs asked me back in spring if there was a chance [to sign Sancho], but I told him straight away he should forget about it, and he never contacted me again. He knew I meant what I said."

Sancho has a contract with Dortmund that runs to 2022, so the club are under no pressure to sell him.

He picked up where he left off in the season-opening German Super Cup earlier this month, scoring once and providing an assist as BVB beat Bayern Munich 2-0:

Jadon Sancho has picked up exactly where he left off for Dortmund 😍🔥

∙ One dazzling assist
∙ One electrifying goal
∙ One special talent

New season, same Sancho 😎 pic.twitter.com/cxLokQGCWZ

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 4, 2019

Dortmund kick off their new Bundesliga season on Saturday when they meet Augsburg.

After finishing two points behind champions Bayern last term, winning the Bundesliga title will surely be the No. 1 aim for Lucien Favre's side in the new campaign.

Sancho will have a big part to play for Dortmund in achieving that target, and if he enjoys another stellar season, there will likely be even more suitors for him next summer.   

Hans-Joachim Watzke has said he's "very grateful" to Bayern Munich for their professionalism in allowing Mats Hummels to rejoin their rivals this summer. 

Hummels left the Westfalenstadion to join Bayern in 2016 but rejoined the Black and Yellows in June. Dortmund chief executive officer Watzke told DPA (h/t Goal's Daniel Lewis) he found it "extraordinary" Die Roten were willing to let their defender leave.

The 60-year-old said: "I am very grateful to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge for having respected the player's will. I thought that was extraordinary. The way in which these negotiations ended was an indication to me how respectfully we are working together at the highest levels."

Hummels grew up in Bayern's academy but left to establish a first-team place at Dortmund in 2008—initially on loan—where he won a historic pair of Bundesliga titles in 2011 and 2012.

Now 30, the Germany international hasn't taken long to adjust back to playing in Dortmund colours, demonstrating some fine passing ability in pre-season:

They don't call @matshummels "Außenrist" (outside of the foot), for nothing 👟🔄 pic.twitter.com/44g1hLftYt

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) July 23, 2019

Hummels also won the DFB-Pokal crown with Dortmund in 2012, as well as finishing a runner-up to Bayern in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final.

Manager Lucien Favre's side have had an active summer transfer window, signing forwards Thorgan Hazard and Julian Brandt, as well as recruiting Paco Alcacer permanently following his loan last term. Left-back Nico Schulz also arrived from Hoffenheim and has impressed in pre-season.

Bundesliga writer Alex Chaffer praised Dortmund's summer business and recently said the foundations are there for the club to launch another run at Bundesliga silverware:

Borussia Dortmund's impressive summer of moves needs nothing more than names: Schulz, Brandt, Hazard, Hummels. Add a fit Reus off the back of his best Dortmund season and Sancho who just continues to improve with every game. Another memorable title race is on the cards.

— Alex Chaffer (@AlexChaffer) July 25, 2019

Bayern signed two new centre-backs this summer as Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard arrived from Atletico Madrid and Stuttgart, respectively.

Coach Niko Kovac said in July that Hummels left the club because he didn't want to compete for his place in the XI:

"Mats did a great job, especially in the second half of the season. Like [Bayern president] Uli Hoeness said, at the end of the season Mats came to us and asked what the status quo was for the new season. 

"Niklas Sule did a great job, he is a starter of the (Germany) national team and with Lucas we bought a player that we want to play centre-back. That doesn't mean anything. 

"Competition means the best player will play. In that case, Mats wanted to avoid that. We accept that and the result is that he plays for BVB now." 

Former Dortmund and Bayern team-mate Robert Lewandowski also bemoaned Hummels' decision, per DW Sports:

Should Hummels have stayed with Bayern?

Or can he lead Dortmund to silverware? pic.twitter.com/7dohL56A3I

— DW Sports (@dw_sports) July 23, 2019

Hummels will find it easier securing his place in Favre's XI and looks likely to partner Omer Toprak in defence, with Dan-Axel Zagadou, Manuel Akanji and Leonardo Balerdi offering support.

Borussia Dortmund have announced the return of Mats Hummels from Bayern Munich.

BVB tweeted Hummels' return on Wednesday:

Mats 🔙 pic.twitter.com/L90XFy3Ry7

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) June 19, 2019

Hummels left Dortmund for Bayern in 2016.

Goal's Ronan Murphy relayed the details of his return:

OFFICIAL: Borussia Dortmund have signed Mats Hummels from Bayern Munich for €31.5m. The fee could rise to €38m after bonuses. He’s still a top-quality defender and will bring experience and stability to the Dortmund backline. #BVB #FCBayern pic.twitter.com/Lqa1GMoSkV

— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) June 19, 2019

The centre-back began his career at Bayern but left for Dortmund after making just two senior appearances.

He had plenty of success with BVB, too:

Last time around 💯 pic.twitter.com/m496S4neVQ

— B/R Football (@brfootball) June 19, 2019

He returned to Bayern as a top-class defender and helped them win three consecutive Bundesliga titles.

His form has dropped a little of late, though. He made just 21 league appearances last season, and Bayern have recruited Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard, both of whom can play centre-back, this summer.

Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe believes Hummels could still be a strong addition back at Dortmund:

Mats Hummels to #BVB. Hasn’t fallen off quite as hard as many believe. Still great on the ball, can still be very dominant in duels in the box.

Dortmund’s CB collective is very young and bold on the ball; perhaps Hummels can both improve the team and help sculpt the future?

— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) June 19, 2019

The 30-year-old World Cup winner is a leader and has an enormous amount of experience, which will be valuable qualities in a young side.

BVB finished second to Bayern by just two points, but they shipped 44 goals to Bayern's 32, so the defence was clearly an area in need of improvement.

As football writer Jonathan Harding noted, not all the fans will be best pleased by his return, though:

https://twitter.com/JonBloggs66/status/1141323103550803975

If his added defensive quality can help the team beat Bayern to the title next season, it's likely all would be forgiven on that front.

Winning the title will be a challenge, but Hummels' arrival should strengthen their chances of doing so.

Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said it's "guaranteed" Jadon Sancho will be at the club next season.

The young winger enjoyed a breakthrough season with Dortmund, as he was a crucial part of the team that pushed Bayern Munich close in the battle for the Bundesliga title. Unsurprisingly, Sancho has since been linked with a number of high-profile clubs.

But Watzke has made it clear the England international will not be available in the upcoming market, per Bild (h/t Goal).

"It can be assumed that Jadon will not play more than 10 years at BVB, but we have clear agreements about the present," he said. "Jadon is not on the market and plays next season guaranteed at Borussia Dortmund."

James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph reported in March that Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain were prepared to go head-to-head for the transfer of the 19-year-old this summer. In the piece, it's said Sancho is valued at around £100 million.

Dortmund have cashed in on some major assets in recent years, including the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. However, the club's recruitment strategy has allowed them to remain competitive in Germany.

Getting young players in like Sancho has been vital to that process, as he's developed into one of the most exciting prospects in European football. Squawka Football shared the numbers behind his exceptional 2018-19:

Jadon Sancho provided more assists and completed at least 40 more take-ons than any other player in the 2018-19 Bundesliga season.

• 34 games
• 111 take-ons completed
• 64 chances created
• 14 assists
• 12 goals

Teenage talent tearing it up. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RurkHAzb4g

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 19, 2019

One of the standout parts of Sancho's game is his invention and composure in the final third. This delightful assist in a clash with Schalke was one of the highlights of the campaign:

https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/1122815087553552385

What makes Sancho special is his ability to mesh that ingenuity with his physical gifts. The Three Lions starlet is one of the quickest players in the Bundesliga, while his agility and balance make him difficult for defenders to pin down.

His stock only appears set to rise in the coming months and years.

The club appear serious about challenging again next term too, as they've already wrapped up the signings of Nico Schulz, Thorgan Hazard and Julian Brandt. German football journalist Archie Rhind-Tutt thinks Sancho might have to fight for a spot in the XI in 2019-20:

From Sancho’s perspective, competition for his place in the team went up quite a bit in the last 24 hours with Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt + Gladbach’s Thorgan Hazard joining.

Big statement from BVB, along with Germany wing-back Nico Schulz joining too. https://t.co/B0uUWSR5qr

— Archie Rhind-Tutt (@archiert1) May 22, 2019

Still, despite his tender years, Sancho was influential in the German top flight last season and is already among the best players in the division. If he links well with Hazard and Brandt, Dortmund will have an attack to be feared by domestic and European rivals.

Provided he continues on an upward curve, the interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs will not go away.

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed the signing of Borussia Monchengladbach winger Thorgan Hazard on a five-year contract. 

Hazard, 26, joined Die Fohlen from Chelsea in 2015 but will hope to improve his Bundesliga title aspirations at Dortmund. The club announced the forward's arrival on Wednesday:

Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Thorgan Hazard from @borussia_en on a 5-year contract! pic.twitter.com/yx3YR8Eb4M

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 22, 2019

The younger brother of Chelsea superstar Eden, Hazard is capable of playing off either left or right flank, and he impressed with a balanced spread of 10 goals and 10 assists in 33 Bundesliga outings this term. 

It's not a great surprise that interest in Hazard was high after another season impressing in the Bundesliga, while Gladbach were also under pressure to sell as he entered the final year on his deal with them.

They posted a tribute to the player after his transfer was confirmed: 

5️⃣ years
1️⃣8️⃣2️⃣ appearances
9️⃣1️⃣ goal involvements@HazardThorgan8 will join @BlackYellow in the summer. All the best for the future, Thorgan! 💚🐎#DieFohlen pic.twitter.com/L3XqgpGEF9

— Gladbach (@borussia_en) May 22, 2019

Hazard will look to make up for the loss of United States international Christian Pulisic, who agreed a £58 million transfer to Chelsea in the winter.

Per WhoScored.com, Hazard was in rare company this season when it came to his productivity:

Thorgan Hazard: Was one of two players, along with new teammate Jadon Sancho, to register double figures for goals (10) and assists (10) in the Bundesliga this season https://t.co/WfvpU7tRH7

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) May 22, 2019

Monchengladbach finished fifth in the Bundesliga this season to qualify for next term's UEFA Europa League group stage. Dortmund, on the other hand, finished a close second to Bayern and will compete in the UEFA Champions League for a third season in a row.

Hazard will return to Europe's elite competition after missing out in each of the last two campaigns. The Black and Yellows will be hoping his encouraging evolution in Germany continues as he approaches his prime years.

Dortmund have already signed Germany left-back Nico Schulz from Hoffenheim, while Bild (h/t TalkSport) reported Bayer Leverkusen's Julian Brandt could also join.

German football writer Manuel Veth spoke highly of the club's early summer business:

#BVB this summer:

✅Julian Brandt from #Bayer €25m
✅Thorgan Hazard from #Gladbach €28m+
✅Nico Schulz from #Hoffenheim €25m

Less than €80m for three national team players. Respect!

— Manuel Veth (@ManuelVeth) May 21, 2019

Dortmund will tour the United States in their 2019-20 pre-season, and Hazard's first appearance for the club could come in their trip to face the Seattle Sounders in Washington on July 18.

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):

Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed to SID that Julian Brandt is leaving for Borussia Dortmund. #BVB #B04

— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) May 21, 2019

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:

Julian Brandt just told Sky90. "As it stands I will stay." The reporter asks back: "As it stands?" Brandt smiles and says: "As it stands." I would interpret it this way. #ChampionsLeague football and he stays at #Bayer, they don't qualify he leaves, likely to #BVB.

— Manuel Veth (@ManuelVeth) May 5, 2019

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:

Julian Brandt created more chances (86) than any other player in the 2018-19 Bundesliga season.

Also the most from open play (63)... before anyone asks. 😉 pic.twitter.com/U5hqzSeUO1

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 19, 2019

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).

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's done it again! 😲@AchrafHakimi receives his second @TAGHeuer #BLRookie award of the season whilst his team, @BlackYellow, sit atop the table 👏#DontCrackUnderPressure pic.twitter.com/qrleo0Vt4z

— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) December 10, 2018

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:

Achraf Hakimi will miss the rest of the season due to a broken metatarsal 🤕 https://t.co/CtAy56yhsV

— GOAL (@goal) April 1, 2019

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.