Report: Sebastian Kehl wanted to sell Emre Can this summer

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl was reportedly looking to sell Emre Can before the midfielder was appointed club captain.

A lot has been said about the troubles at Borussia Dortmund both on and off the pitch in recent weeks. The atmosphere behind the scenes appears to be tense, and SportBILD have now written about the many disagreements between the BVB bosses over the club’s transfer dealings.

One of the biggest examples of this was the case of Emre Can, who signed a contract extension in July and was then appointed Borussia Dortmund captain four days later.

But according to the magazine, Sebastian Kehl was of the opinion that the midfielder should be sold in the summer. It is no secret that Kehl wanted to sign Edson Álvarez from Ajax, and had even reached an agreement on personal terms with the Mexico international. Edin Terzic, on the other hand, made the case for Can to stay and ultimately prevailed.

The Borussia Dortmund head coach also got his way with the signing of Felix Nmecha, even though the club had to pay over the odds to secure his signature from Wolfsburg.

It remains to be seen just how much truth there is to this report. But the many claims of internal friction at the club are certainly not a good sign this early in the season, even if Sebastian Kehl has always denied them.

It has also been a difficult start to the season on the pitch for Borussia Dortmund, who have drawn two of their opening three games in the Bundesliga.