Dortmund eye Athletic Bilbao shot-stopper as Burki replacement
Dortmund's shaky season could be partly attributed to their defensive backline, but acquiring a young consistent performer between the posts remains one of the club's main targets.
After Sport BILD reports emerged last week of Roman Burki’s set price tag of €5m, it looks increasingly likely the 30-year-old will leave Signal Iduna at the end of the current Bundesliga season.
Dortmund will look to cash in on Burki, who lost his position in the team to veteran Marwin Hitz midway through the season.
Unai Simon, Athletic Bilbao’s young 23-year-old shot stopper, has now fallen into Dortmund’s radar after his impressive performances in La Liga for the Basque side.
According to La Razon, Dortmund are said to be interested along with Premier League’s Arsenal & West Ham United and Ligue 1’s AS Monaco.
Simon is on contract deal with Bilbao until June 2025, with no buyout clause and will arrive for no less than €30m.
He has been outstanding between the posts for the club since taking over the role in the 2019/20 season.
However, VfB Stuttgart's Gregor Kobel would be a more affordable option for Die Schwarzengleben, who would cost around €15-20m, as per German outlet Stuttgarter Nachrichten.