Julian Brandt's future at Dortmund in doubt

Shortly before Christmas, Borussia Dortmund managing director for sport Lars Ricken revealed plans to extend the contract of Julian Brandt, saying that "clear signals" had been sent to the attacking midfielder and describing him as a "figurehead on and off the pitch".

In the meantime, however, things have changed and Dortmund's sporting crisis appears to have had an impact on Brandt's situation, with WAZ reporting that it's "far from clear" that negotiations with the 28-year-old will be opened at all.

According to the local publication, there are two specific conditions that would have to be met before an extension of Brandt's contract beyond 2026 would become a possibility.

Firstly, Dortmund need to get back on track and show more consistency - it's only natural that Champions League qualification would make a relatively expensive contract extension for a player like Brandt much more likely.

Secondly, the 28-year-old needs to show more stability in his own performances. If he doesn't, it's not out of the question for Dortmund to cash in on the attacking midfielder this summer, a year before his contract expires.