Premier League clubs on red alert as rift at Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund sparks rumours of Thomas Tuchel’s sacking
PREMIER LEAGUE clubs have been put on red alert after a major rift at Borussia Dortmund has sparked speculation that talented head coach Thomas Tuchel may soon leave the club.
The boss, 43, is hugely admired in Germany since taking over from Jurgen Klopp 12 months ago - getting the Westfalenstadion side off to a flying start in the Bundesliga this season, netting 16 goals in just six games.
With hopes high in Dortmund, a difference in opinion between Tuchel and the man credited with discovering Robert Lewandowski - Sven Mislintat - is a cause for real concern.
The duo fell out this summer regarding the club missing out on Oliver Torres - who ultimately opted to rejoin Porto on loan from parent club Atletico.
Tuchel had earmarked the youngster, 21, as the man to succeed Henrikh Mkhitaryan ahead of his move to Manchester United, yet the club fell short, much to the German boss' frustration.
Dortmund's general manager Michael Zorc is hoping to sort out any issues between the pair, however he views Mislintat - who also helped the club land Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - as a crucial player in the back office moving forward.
In fact, Zorc is considering handing the chief talent spotter the role of 'head of professional football' - making the prospect of a Tuchel departure all the more worrying.
While the boss has been in charge only a year, Mislintat has been at the club since 2009, bringing not only Lewandowski and Aubameyang to the club, but also Shinji Kagawa, before his move to Man United.
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He has also helped oversee a drastic transition this summer, bringing in Marc Bartra, Sebastian Rode, Mario Gotze and Andre Schurrle after losing main men Mkhitaryan, Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan all in one fell swoop.
Mislintat also spearheaded the club's move for Ousmane Dembele - who was a target for European powerhouses Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and a host of Prem sides.
Yet Dembele opted for Dortmund, showing just how key Mislintat is to Zorc and Co.
In fact, on the move, the 19-year-old said: "BVB tried very early to get me and always kept in close contact with me - this behaviour left me really impressed."
With Mislintat in pole position to stay at Dortmund and their current relationship untenable, it could be that young boss Tuchel makes the trip to England sooner rather than later...