Borussia Dortmund plans without Marcel Sabitzer

Borussia Dortmund is planning its future without Marcel Sabitzer despite cup winner heroics that secured the club’s place in the DFB-Pokal round of the last sixteen. Although the 32-year-old midfielder fired a decisive late free-kick into the top left corner to seal a 3:2 victory against Werder Bremen, club officials do not intend to offer him a new contract beyond the expiration of his current deal at the end of the season. The 102-malige Nationalspieler, who has been playing for the BVB since the summer of 2023, has so far made 128 competitive appearances in the Dortmund jersey. Despite individual strong performances and his vast experience, he has never managed to establish himself permanently as an undisputed standout player.

The decisive cup moment arrived in stoppage time when Sabitzer curled a set-piece from about 20 meters out over the wall and past the goalkeeper, sending the sold-out stadium into euphoria and rescuing a win that made him the celebrated matchwinner. Yet, internal planning at the club points toward a parting of ways next summer. Sportdirektor Ole Book addressed the contract situation after the final whistle, stating, Das ist auf jeden Fall kein Thema, das wir heute besprechen werden. Wir wissen, was wir an ihnen haben, sehen ihn jeden Tag arbeiten, kennen den Umgang mit ihnen. Deswegen ändert eine Aktion sowieso nichts. The Torschütze himself explained, Der Trainer hat gesagt, dass ich schießen soll. Das hat mich nur nochmal bestärkt, dass ich das machen kann. Ich habe das in meinem rechten Fuß. Ich weiß das. Das war ein guter Moment heute, dass er so reinfliegt.

Squad Strategy and Transfer Context

The reluctance to extend Sabitzer’s stay stems from a broader shift in club strategy. Borussia Dortmund is increasingly focusing on younger, developable players who can take the next sporting step and simultaneously increase their market value, placing the experienced Austrian outside the desired long-term profile. Even during the previous summer transfer window, the club would not have stood in the midfielder’s way had a suitable offer arrived before contract end 2027—which marked the last chance to collect a transfer fee for the player with a market value of 6 million euros—though star advisor Roger Wittmann maintained that the player’s camp blocked ten incoming approaches because Sabitzer wanted to continue his career in Dortmund. In reality, however, not a single serious offer arrived at the BVB for the midfielder.

Competition in central midfield includes Felix Nmecha, Jobe Bellingham, and Joey Veerman, whom the club brought in as an additional positional competitor (27/Eindhoven). Further depth and competition across attacking positions come from Konstantinos Karetsas, Giannis Konstantelias, Samuele Inacio, Mathis Albert, and Carney Chukwuemeka.

Unresolved Questions

With no contract extension currently planned and discussions actively deferred by management, the exact timing of Sabitzer’s departure remains formally unconfirmed by the player himself. Whether any club will meet valuation marks during the remaining months of his contract, or if the veteran midfielder will finish out the remainder of his deal as a rotational option before leaving as a free agent, is still to be determined.

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