By the end of the winter transfer window, it was clear that Niklas Sule would be leaving Bayern Munich in the summer window. The Bavarian club confirmed the defender’s decision to reject the contract offer on the table. Meanwhile, Sule’s representative has insisted that the lack of appreciation from the club is the reason for leaving Bavaria.
On Monday, Sule’s next club was revealed. Calling it a big surprise/shock will be an understatement for the Bavarian faithful. Borussia Dortmund has officially announced a four-year contract agreement with Sule. The German international will be signing the deal until 2026 in June, which will come into effect once his contract with Die Roten ends in June.
Sule’s move to Dortmund definitely comes as a shock since he was heavily linked with a transfer to Premier League. Moreover, one of the German media outlets had confirmed Sule’s efforts to engineer a move to England in the past. FC Barcelona was also reportedly interested in signing the German international.
It does look like Niklas Sule was very much upset with the club’s lack of appreciation. According to Sport1, Sule will be earning €10 million/year at Dortmund, which is the same salary package offered by Die Roten. However, the Bavarian club started negotiations for renewal when he entered the final six months of his current deal.
After the win against RB Leipzig on Saturday, Manuel Neuer had admitted frustration about Sule leaving Die Roten. The club captain also insisted that the entire dressing is upset about the departure of Sule since he is a quality player. It does look like Sule’s teammates were also frustrated about the defender’s decision to join their fierce rivals.
Sule is going to be a big miss for Rekordmeister. After struggling with injuries and fitness in the past couple of seasons, Sule was back to his best under Nagelsmann. The German international has been the best central defender for Die Roten this season. His departure was itself a big blow, but joining their biggest rivals further compounds misery for Bayern.
Nevertheless, Niklas Sule will have a big role to play in the next few months as Die Roten is chasing Bundesliga and Champions League titles. The sudden announcement of a move to Dortmund is unlikely to impact Sule’s ambitions with Rekordmeister for the current season.
The Bavarian club will have to explore the market to sign a good replacement for Sule. Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are reportedly top contenders for this role. Both central defenders are set to become free agents in the summer.