Borussia Dortmund has put its search for Jadon Sancho on pause as it reorders its transfer priorities and looks for players who fit a new tactical plan. The club is now weighing different needs for the future instead of pushing immediately for a reunion with the winger, according to people familiar with the situation.
The shift is tied to Dortmund's move toward a system with three defenders, a setup that pulls the club away from traditional wide players and toward attackers who can create from interior positions. That is why the focus has moved toward a number 10 who can also drift wide when needed, a profile that fits the current structure better than a pure winger. For readers following the wider Sancho story, Dortmund's hesitation marks a clear change from earlier speculation about a return, which has already been the subject of strong interest in German football circles and in coverage around the player.
Michael Zorc said the talks are not necessarily tied to a specific moment in the summer, and he added that Dortmund wants to complete one or two more signings before the start of pre-season. That gives the club a limited window to adjust the squad before work begins in earnest, and it explains why the Sancho pursuit has been pushed aside for now.
One of the names back on Dortmund's list is Nwaneri, a 19-year-old midfielder who is finishing a loan spell in Marseille. The club has asked again about his situation after failing to make progress on him last year, when he went on to sign a contract extension with Arsenal until 2030. Nwaneri is open to a possible move to the Bundesliga, but the deal is complicated by Arsenal's high asking price and the difficulty of arranging another loan.
That leaves Dortmund balancing ambition with limits. The club still wants to improve, but it is now shopping for players who can serve more than one role in a system built around three defenders, not simply names that generate attention. Kennet Eichhorn, the 16-year-old Hertha Berlin player, is also under consideration, which underlines how far Dortmund's search has widened as it looks for solutions that fit both the present and the next phase of the squad.
The clearest reading is that Dortmund is no longer chasing headlines first. It is chasing fit. Sancho remains part of the conversation, but the club's immediate moves suggest it will only revisit that path if the rest of the market falls into place.
