Axel Witsel should have been a Borussia Dortmund player by now, according to reports at the beginning of the week. He was supposed to fly to Germany on Monday and complete a medical with the Bundesliga club, so the move could then be announced.
But it’s not complete yet, and Bild explain that’s because there’s problems.
Witsel moved to Tianjin Quanjian in the 2017 winter market after spending more than four years at Zenit St Petersburg. The midfielder is under contract until 2019 but wants to leave the Chinese club.
Dortmund and the player believe he has a €20m release clause in his contract, but Tianjin Quanjian aren’t accepting it right now. This could lead to a legal battle and the transfer being taken to FIFA.
Meanwhile, it’s claimed Witsel’s current club have taken on negotiators to try and get more money from another club. The 29 year old is being offered to Premier League clubs, with Manchester United the only one named by Bild.
By selling to Manchester United or someone else in England, Tianjin Quanjian hope to get much more than the €20m.
It’s sounds a messy situation and Jose Mourinho may choose to avoid it, especially with such a player probably not being the most pressing issue at Old Trafford right now.
