Nuri Şahin: Borussia Dortmund made Paris Brunner a “very good offer”to stay at the club

Ahead of the upcoming Bundesliga campaign, the futures of some of Dortmund’s youth and first-team players have needed clarification. In the case of talented academy prospect Paris Brunner, that decision has been made, with the German youth international joining Ligue 1 side AS Monaco on a permanent deal.

Brunner’s saga had been one that stretched to the beginning of this year when the first rumbles of discontent could be heard from within the club’s confines. Brunner reportedly pushed for a more lucrative financial deal, as well as one that gave the player first-team football assurances.

In Brunner’s eyes, Monaco showed the player a clear sporting path to the first team, one that was incidentally more appealing to the player than the one presented by Die Schwarzgelben. Despite this, head coach Nuri Şahin has defended the club’s decision, stating that BVB offered the player a good deal and a path into the first team, but that players can’t expect freebies at a club like Dortmund:

"I have to be careful what I say. Look, we can't give anyone a gift. The club is too big for that and I have clearly shown Paris a perspective from the coach's side. I know that the club made him a very good offer and showed him prospects."

- Nuri Şahin

Şahin went a step further in his comments to not only wish Brunner all the best but also pointed to another youngster on the rise in the club’s ranks, Kjell Wätjen, as a good example of how developing players should act in terms of getting chances in the first team:

"I can't give anyone a present, the club is too big for that. We want to be successful…I love working with Kjell Wätjen because I know he has the patience and he will be an important player for Borussia Dortmund…As I said, I wish Paris all the best in sporting terms. But what do you expect from me? So that you extend your contract and play in the starting 11? That's not how it works here."

- Nuri Şahin

If it was indeed Brunner’s desire to “jump the queue” and have assurances regarding first-team football for the season, then Dortmund has clearly made a sound decision in terms of parting ways with the player at this time. Talented player or not, there is an order or things that any club must abide by, including Borussia Dortmund.

While it’s unfortunate to see such a young, talented player leave, especially considering he was very much a Dortmund youth product, the club must make decisions based on more factors than any single player’s desires, no matter their eventual potential. There is every chance there is less competition for Brunner with Monaco once his loan with Cercle Brugge comes to a close, and that he becomes an exemplary player for the Ligue 1 outfit. For this to occur, however, the player will have to fight for his place in order to shine in any starting 11, no matter how high his potential ceiling really is.