Borussia Dortmund CEO says they have to ‘fight clubs with oligarchs and Arabian state’ behind them

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke insisted that his side have to ‘fight against big clubs with oligarchs and the Arabian states’ to keep hold of their star players. 

Dortmund star Erling Haaland is currently in the process of leaving the Bundesliga side in favour of reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. 

The 21-year-old underwent medical tests in Brussels on Monday afternoon before confirmation of the £63million deal, expected before the weekend as Sportsmail understands a deal between City and Haaland’s camp was completed last week. 

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke insisted that his side have to ‘fight against big clubs with oligarchs and the Arabian states’ to keep hold of their star players

Erling Haaland is currently in the process of leaving the Bundesliga side in favour of Man City

Having scored 85 goals in 88 appearances, Haaland will bid farewell to the Dortmund supporters after their final Bundesliga game of the season against Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

But Watzke claimed the German side were always fighting a battle they could not win to keep the prolific striker as the backing of big clubs by oligarchs and Arab states makes it impossible. 

However, the club CEO insisted that it is easier for Dortmund to keep hold of players such as Jude Bellingham as the side knows how to manage young players well.  

Watzke claimed it is easier is for Dortmund to keep hold of players such as Jude Bellingham (centre)

In an interview with CNN, Watzke said: ‘That’s the only way for us because when a player performs very well, we have to fight against the big, big, big clubs with the oligarchs and the Arabian states at their back.

‘And this fight we cannot win, but we can win a fight over an 18-year-old player, like Jude Bellingham, because this player loves to play at Borussia Dortmund because we have always 80,000 spectators, it’s a very good atmosphere and the club knows how to manage young players.

‘That’s our way and, okay, we have a good department who are scouting young players every day, but it’s also very important if you have the player here, you must develop him and I think that works … most of the time, it works.’

The 62-year-old also insisted the Bundesliga side will survive without the Norwegian as they overcame the departures of former stars Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The 62-year-old insisted the Bundesliga club survived the departure of Robert Lewandowski

‘It’s a decision for Erling,’ Watzke said. ‘Erling, you know, has an exit clause and he must decide if we wants to take this exit clause or not and he has time to give us his decision. When the time is ready, he will do it.

‘But we [Dortmund] have played football for 113 years, and for 111 years, we played without Erling Haaland. We had Robert Lewandowski and then he left us in 2014, but we played football in ’15, ’16, ’17 until now.

‘Then next came Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and then Erling Haaland and you can be sure if Erling takes a decision to leave us, we will find the next [player] 100 per cent.’

City boss Pep Guardiola remained tight-lipped over the potential signing on Tuesday

On Tuesday, City boss Pep Guardiola remained tight-lipped on the potential transfer ahead of his side’s trip to Wolves in the Premier League midweek. 

‘Everybody knows the situation but I should not talk because I don’t like to talk about the future,’ Guardiola said.

‘Dortmund and Man City have told me I can’t say anything until the deal is completely done. I would love to talk but I can’t.

‘They said don’t say anything due to the legal actions. We’ll have time to talk about it, it’s not that I don’t want to.’