Michael Zorc, sporting director of Borussia Dortmund, has confirmed his club’s interest in making full-back Achraf Hakimi, on-loan from Real Madrid, remain for a third season at Westfalenstadion.
However, the player himself is not considered to be against the idea after flourishing in Germany so far.
Moreover, the player will not be short of options. A source has been telling 90min that Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham have all made inquiries to Real.
Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Juventus keep watchful eyes as well, even as Dortmund is ‘desperate’ to keep him.
Just 21, Hakimi joined Dortmund on a brief two-year contract in 2018 as a teenager after struggling to regularly gain a place in the matchday squads of Real Madrid.
The switch to Germany has proven to be a masterstroke for Hakimi, whose development, particularly this season, has been considerable. He has scored 12 goals in 70 overall appearances for Dortmund and is now considered one of Europe’s most bright full-back talents.
According to Bild, Hakimi is actually not against staying in Dortmund, although he will initially return to Real Madrid’s parent club once the campaign is over in 2019/20.
Zorc too has expressed the club’s intention to try to get him back in time for next season:
“The contractual situation is clear – he will return to Real Madrid for the time being. We will still try to get him to play with us next season, but it is too early to discuss that now.”
If he is to return to Dortmund, Hakimi will continue to get regular football, while going back to Real next season will entail a difficult battle with the proven Dani Carvajal.
But despite Bild reporting that Hakimi is open to staying in Dortmund, his overriding desire is still to return to and become a regular in the Spanish capital.
“He wants to play games, like this season, where he has started every match. There’s no rush. His only aspiration is to play games to help his development,” his agent, Alejandro Camano, told a local radio station Onda Madrid last month.
Camano clarified that the camp does not want to ‘distance’ itself from Real and would ‘reach some sort of compromise whether it is staying or leaving, without realizing that the goal is to play for Real.’
Hakimi himself said recently, “If Real Madrid wants me to go back, I’ll go back,” although he added, “…if not, I will need to write the next chapter at another great club.”
