Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 11:43• Mart Oude Nijeweeme

Donyell Malen’s transfer to Borussia Dortmund was not a foregone conclusion for a long time, Sebastian Kehl revealed on Wednesday. BILD. After positive initial talks, the negotiations broke down, says the technical man of BVB. In the end Dortmund kept their footing, which resulted in a transfer from the attacker on Tuesday. “I’m sure we’re going to have a lot of fun with Donyell,” Kehl said.

Malen already reported to the Dortmund training camp in Switzerland last Sunday. There, the attacker was received and shown around by Dortmund directors Hans-Joachim Watzke, Michael Zorc and Kehl. “We may have lost a class player with Jadon Sancho, but in Donyell we see a great talent with a lot of potential,” says the technical man. “With his strong performances in Eindhoven and the national team, he really left his mark last season. I’m sure we will have a lot of fun with Donyell, even if his profile is not comparable to that of Jadon.”

According to Kehl, the fact that the negotiations between PSV and Dortmund went into a difficult phase at some point was mainly due to the huge difference between supply and demand. “A transfer is not a one-man show for us,” Kehl continues. “It’s an interplay between different parties. I’ve been in Monaco with Michael and Aki Watzke. There we talked to Mino Raiola, Donyell and his family. It’s no secret that I have an important role in the transfers and use my network.” According to Kehl, there has not been a disagreement with Raiola, as has happened with Dortmund in the past. “No chairs flew through the air, haha. I know the stories, but we’ve had good and honest conversations.”

According to Kehl, it was necessary to stand firm in the negotiations with PSV. Despite the 85 million euros that Dortmund raked in this summer with the sale of Sancho to Manchester United, the euros do not splash against the plinths in Dortmund either. “Certainly with the consequences of the corona pandemic in mind. The financial conditions were far too high for us. At a certain point you have to set a clear limit: Take it or leave it! In the end we managed to realize the transfer on our terms. And the 85 million euros for Jadon Sancho always sounds very exciting, but that is certainly not the amount we get, especially because we also have to pay off debts.”

Finally, Kehl rules out a departure of Erling Braut Haaland from Dortmund. “In the conversations with Mino Raiola (Halandand’s agent, ed.) about the transfer of Malen, I did not have the feeling that we would meet again soon about Erling. And we have already emphasized a thousand times that we do not want to sell him. I hear the stories, but we also see that it does not change when any of us say something about the situation. The same was true for Jadon Sancho last year until the last day of the transfer window. The outcome is known. I am convinced that Borussia Dortmund will come season is a fantastic club for Haaland to develop further.”