Borussia Dortmund star Marcel Sabitzer has reportedly vetoed a move to Serie A team Bologna after the club expressed interest in bringing the player to Italy.
The 32-year-old Austrian, who played at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Das Team, is now into the final year of his contract and questions have thereby emerged over his future.
Sabitzer resumed training last week after returning from his vacation but didn't travel to Japan for their preseason fixtures. However the midfielder along with Ramy Bensebaini, are in like to make their first appearance this weekend against Arsenal.
Joining from Bayern Munich in 2023, Sabitzer has cemented himself as one of their key figures in the XI and played an instrumental role in helping Dortmund achieve second-place finish in the Bundesliga last term.
He now has just a year left on his existing contract with Dortmund, who would perhaps prefer to sell him for a fee instead of losing him for free next year although the club hasn't put him on the clearance list for the summer.
Bologna have been linked with Sabitzer in recent days as the Italian top-flight side is interested in the star but he is said to have rejected the move with the former RB Leipzig anchorman only interested in joining a Champions League side or move to Saudi Arabia.
The Black and Yellow are aware that they could lose Sabitzer for nothing in 2027 and is also free to negotiate with a club of his choice. As Felix Nmecha is being eyed by Newcastle United right now, Dortmund's midfied options could run thin if both these stars end up leaving.
According to Transfermarkt, Sabitzer's current market value is a meager €6million. A Champions League side that's looking to add more attacking firepower to their midfield can easily price him away although such a club hasn't come to the fore yet.
The only interested party so far, Bologna, finished eighth in Serie A last season and missed out on European football altogether, which explains why the Austrian international isn't too keen on joining. But there's another option he's looking at.
The Saudi Pro League has emerged as a lucrative destination for many top players in recent years with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, N'Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly and Édouard Mendy among others currently plying their trade there.
Having already seen Julian Brandt and Karim Adeyemi depart, losing a third key midfielder in the same transfer window would be a real blow for the BVB.
Add us as a preferred source on Google