Mats Hummels’ contract with Borussia Dortmund ends this month and the signs at present suggest he will leave, with AC Milan interested.
According to the latest from Sky Germany, the signs are clearly pointing towards the departure of Hummels who would only consider renewing his deal with Dortmund if they sack the head coach Edin Terzic. The 35-year-old has communicated this internally.
The relationship between Terzic and Hummels is strained because the centre-back is one of the BVB players who has ‘repeatedly questioned the coach’s tactics in the past’. In an interview with SportBild, the 2014 world champion also publicly criticised Terzic before the Champions League final.
Sky state that Terzic will continue to coach the team next season even if no talks have taken place over extending his deal, which would mean he would enter the final year of his contract, something that is uncommon for coaches.
The internal discussions about Terzic’s future beyond 2024-25 will only be held towards the end of the first half of the season, by the new management team led by sports director Lars Ricken. All of that pushes Hummels towards the exit door.
If the 35-year-old leaves the club this summer, a move to the MLS or Saudi Arabia is not an option for him. Hummels prefers to stay in Europe so that he can stay close to his family and his son, and a move to Italy is the most likely option with Milan the only club mentioned as interested.