Dortmund plan to recall loaned Germany starlets
Berlin - Borussia Dortmund plan on recalling loaned Germany Under-21 internationals Moritz Leitner and Jonas Hofmann for next season, according to director of sport Michael Zorc on Wednesday.
Leitner, 22, has spent the season on loan at VfB Stuttgart, where he has scored one goal in 18 games, while Hofmann, 21, has netted three times in 10 games at Mainz, but both had previously played for Dortmund's senior side and Germany's junior teams.
"Both of them will return at the end of the season, that's how things stand," Zorc told German magazine Sport Bild.
Zorc also believes Dortmund are moving closer to extending the contract of Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, whose contract expires in June 2016.
"Let me put it in sober terms, I believe that both for him and us a contract extension would make sense," Zorc told German daily Bild.
The club are hoping Gundogan will follow the lead of Germany team-mate Marco Reus who extended his Borussia stay until 2019 by signing a new deal last month.
Dortmund are tenth in the Bundesliga and host Italian champions Juventus on Wednesday in the last 16 of the Champions League, looking to overturn a 2-1 defeat from the first leg in Turin last month.
HEADLINES
- Austria boss Rangnick confirms talks with Bayern, remains focused on Euros
- Borussia Dortmund hire 1997 UCL hero Ricken as sporting exec
- Leverkusen stay unbeaten with 97th-minute equalizer at Dortmund
- Bundesliga roundup: Kane bags 33rd league goal, Leipzig tighten grip on 4th
- Bayern-linked Nagelsmann signs new Germany deal