The contracts of four Dortmund players, Brandt, Sule, Emre Can and Gross, will end next summer. German media Bild reported that the team's top management has decided not to renew their contracts this summer as usual.

The report stated that whether Dortmund finally qualified for the Champions League or only qualified for the Europa League, the club will make important personnel decisions after this turbulent season. Sports General Manager Ricken and Sports Director Kyle have made clear decisions about the future of these four players.

29-year-old Brandt and Sule, 31-year-old Emre Can and 33-year-old Gross will all enter the contract year in the summer. Bild learned that Dortmund's top management will not renew any of their contracts this summer, and usually the club will start renewal negotiations one year before the contract expires.

The reason behind this is that in this season, especially when the team was almost completely out of control before Kovac took office in February this year, the club's leadership will be more determined to implement the principle of "making decisions based on performance" in the future. This is a forward-looking strategy, because these four players have had serious ups and downs in the past and have almost no longer played an important role in future plans.

Sule is the highest-paid player in the team, with an annual salary of about 14 million euros. The top management knows that there is almost no market for such a huge salary. Sule had several injuries and physical problems before, and his condition did not improve until Kovac took office. If Sule can show his strength steadily in the future, the top management may still renew his contract with him again in the winter by significantly reducing his salary.

Emre Can's annual salary is about 10 million euros. He has exploded in the position of central defender, while his original position is defensive midfielder. The team captain has long been regarded as the representative of the team's crisis. The top management has made a clear statement on the decision to renew the contract: Can will continue to play "to be seen".

Brandt, who earns 8 million euros a year, is also a symbol of Dortmund's crisis and ups and downs this season. The player's inexplicable fluctuations in form have temporarily put his contract renewal negotiations on hold, and it is reported that the management has even withdrawn a renewal proposal. Although the new coach Kovac is seen as a supporter of Brandt, fans and senior management have further questioned whether he can continue to play his huge potential. Therefore, the senior management decided that Brandt can leave the team early this summer if he receives a suitable offer.

Gross, who earns 8 million euros a year, also faced difficulties in adapting after joining last summer because he was often arranged to play in unfamiliar positions. But his performance is now stable, but the problem is that when this contract ends in 2026, he will be 35 years old and he will no longer have prospects for future development. For Gross, the decisive factors in his future in Dortmund will be speed and physical fitness.

The report also pointed out that Dortmund is planning for the future and may make some painful decisions in the process. The length of the players' contracts shows which players the top management wants to focus on in the reconstruction: Kerber, Anton, Lersen, Nmecha, Giraci and Bayer, all of whom have contracts until at least 2028. The 25-year-old center back Schlotterbeck is regarded as the new leader. Although his contract is only until 2027, the club hopes to renew his contract with him as soon as possible.