Uli Hoeness criticizes Dortmund's transfer strategy
Borussia Dortmund should focus on keeping their team together rather than transfer profit to take a step forward as a club, argues FC Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness.
Bayern München honorary president Uli Hoeness has hit out at Borussia Dortmund's transfer strategy.
In recent years, BVB have sold several important players for a profit, including Ousmane Dembélé, Christian Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Hoeness, however, believes Dortmund would be wise to focus on keeping their team together instead of selling their best players for large transfer fees.
"If Dortmund buy a highly talented player and he plays well, you can hear a few months later - either from the club itself or from others - that he will be an object of sale at some point. I think that's unwise," Hoeness said in an interview with FAZ and continued:
"How is a player supposed to absorb the DNA of a club one hundred percent if he feels that he is an object of sale? It's not like that with us at all. We sign players to play for Bayern München, and never just for business reasons.
"As long as Dortmund don't change this strategy, I don't think they will get that extra 10 percent to perform well in important games. Our players must have the feeling that they will be at Bayern forever."
Jadon Sancho is the latest Dortmund star to be heavily linked with a move away from the club, with Manchester United understood to be leading the race for the youngster's signature.
Three years ago, Sancho nearly ended up at Bayern, but the winger ultimately opted for a move to Dortmund instead.
"Everything was fine with Sancho until he decided to join Dortmund at the last moment," Hoeness recalls.
More recently, Dortmund beat Bayern to the signature of Jude Bellingham, who completed a €23 million move to Signal Iduna Park from Birmingham City in June. Should the 17-year-old get off to a good start at Dortmund, Hoeness predicts he will quickly be linked with a move away from the club.
"The young Bellingham has just been bought, but wait and see how quickly he will be the subject of interest from others if he plays well. I wouldn't do it like that. I would say to the public, but also to my own people, 'This is our player, and if he plays well, he will stay. Even if we're offered €100 million," Hoeness said.
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has responded to Hoeness' comments, telling WAZ:
"I find the statements rather arrogant. Some of them are also factually wrong. Basically, if you have €250 million more in your pocket every year, it makes things a whole lot easier."