Why Dortmund no longer want to sell Arsenal target Julian Brandt

Stefan Bienkowski

• 30 Jul 2021 14:11 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal are in desperate need of some creative midfielders to ensure Mikel Arteta’s side can challenge for a top four finish next season.

The London club have a number of impressive defensive and holding midfielders, but there is clearly a real lack of creativity in the middle of the park.

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That clearly explains why Arsenal decided to take Martin Odegaard on loan last season and why the club seem intent on trying to sign him permanently this summer.

Another creative midfielder that has long been linked with a move to the Premier League side is Borussia Dortmund playmaker Julian Brandt.

However, unlike Odegaard, it seems as though Brandt’s situation at Dortmund has changed over the past few months and he’ll no longer be a viable option for Arsenal in the summer transfer window.

’It’s pretty clear that we will have Brandt next season’

As if to burst Arsenal’s bubble, Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke directly addressed the rumours and confirmed that the club had no intention of selling Brandt this summer at a press conference this week.

"It is pretty clear to me that Erling Haaland will stay at Dortmund, just like Julian Brandt will remain,” said Watzke. “I tend to say that every day but no-one really seems to listen as I hear something new every week.

"To us, it is pretty clear that we will have Julian Brandt for the upcoming season. I hope that he will have a great season with us this year. I hope that he will be able to exploit his strong potential and tap into more of the talent that he clearly has.

"Julian is a great guy and I really like him. If he has a strong season then it will be great for all of us. It would never have made sense to give him away. It was never the topic of discussion of anyone here at Dortmund."

Why do Dortmund want to keep Brandt now?

Two reasons why Brandt may be afforded a second chance at Dortmund come down to the fact that the club have a new head coach.

After being overlooked by Lucien Favre and then caretaker head coach Edin Terzic, Brandt will likely be afforded the opportunity to prove his worth to new head coach Marco Rose.

And, to Brandt’s benefit, Rose tends to play with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 diamond formation, which means the club will have far more use for an attacking midfielder like Brandt that can play in a number of roles in both systems.