Borussia Dortmund are set to lose a key player this summer as Julian Brandt is all set to depart the club at the end of his current contract, a news confirmed earlier this week.
Both parties reportedly agreed not to renew his terms mutually as the BVB seeks to restructure their squad with the 29-year-old stepping away after seven years.
While his next destination remains unclear, Bayer Leverkusen have ruled out a possible reunion with the star as their sporting managing director Simon Rolfes poured cold water over resigning rumors.
During his appearance on the Sport1 program Dopplepass this Sunday, Rolfes rejected the idea of bringing Brandt back to the BayArena next season.
"“We have a great player in that position with Ibo Maza, who will develop excellently over the next few years. Therefore, Julian will not be a topic for us. Back then, Julian felt that maybe he couldn’t win titles with us. Then he went to Borussia Dortmund, where we would have liked to keep him""said Rolfes
Brandt became a household name in the Bundesliga after breaking onto the scene with Bayer Leverkusen in 2014 as an 18-year-old. Over the next five years, he became a vital cog in their squad, mustering 215 appearances in all competitions while scoring 42 goals.
However, a silverware was lacking and Brandt moved to Dortmund in 2019 in search of it. Since then, he picked up the DFB-Pokal in 2020 while also collecting a runners-up medal in the 2024 Champions League final.
Throughout these seven years, the German international remained an instrumental figure in the squad, offering great squad depth, versatility and leadership. He's made 299 appearances for Dortmund right now, including 210 in the Bundesliga, while netting 56 goals and assisting another 69.
His departure is sure to leave a massive void within Dortmund's midfield arsenal, something that could prompt them to take a dip into the summer transfer window and find a suitable replacement for him.
Dortmund's early exit from the Champions League this season has created potential financial problems that is forcing the side to sell off some of the big names, with Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy also rumored to be put on sale this summer.
Besides, the club has also confirmed that Niklas Sule and Salih Ozcan will leave Dortmund with their contracts also set to expire in June, while Nico Schlotterbeck is closely monitored by Real Madrid.