Report: Borussia Dortmund’s Salih Özcan could join VFL Wolfsburg

The fate of defensive midfielder Salih Özcan’s Borussia Dortmund future has been a topic of increasing interest over the last few weeks. With signings like Pascal Groß, as well as Dortmund’s midfield containing the likes of Marcel Sabitzer, Kjell Wätjen and Emre Can, it seems unlikely that the Türkiye international will get much time on the pitch.

Özcan joined Die Schwarzgelben from FC Köln in the summer of 2022, which was a move that drew quite a bit of excitement from fans after the player's performances that season in the Bundesliga. Despite a bright start, he was unable to nail down a more consistent place in the squad's starting 11.

A major stumbling block in any prospective move away from Dortmund for Özcan is the fact that the player’s wages are likely to be far too high for most mid-table clubs to afford. This, coupled with how comfortable Özcan is in Dortmund, has made any potential deal seem rather unlikely.

The tide is beginning to shift it would seem however, with reports from Sky Sport seeming to indicate that fellow Bundesliga outfit VFL Wolfsburg is set to push for Özcan’s signature. According to the report, negotiations are ongoing.

A move for Özcan would benefit both club and player, at least from a sporting standpoint. The player would likely receive substantially more minutes on the pitch than he would this season in Dortmund, and it would also free up wages for Dortmund to re-invest into the squad should some last minute deal(s) present themselves.

As we’ve mentioned, the wages will likely be the main hindrance for any deal to go through. Özcan’s salary is closer to four million euros a year, which would likely have to come down to make the deal possible. With Dortmund seemingly very open to facilitating the player’s exit, it will come down to Özcan’s own priorities to see whether this deal actually ends up pulling through before the close of the transfer window, which is this coming Friday.