Zelalem move to Dortmund rumored

With the Arsenal youngster’s contract winding down, Borussia Dortmund may be preparing a move for Gedion Zelalem during the January transfer window, according to ESPN FC’s sources.

While “sources close to the player” is appropriately vague for a transfer window story and should always be taken with a grain of salt, a move away from the Emirates doesn’t seem like it would be out of the question for Zelalem.

Having spent last season on loan to Rangers, the 19-year-old has only been able to eek out some substitute minutes in the EFL Cup since returning to London. That isn’t particularly surprising considering Arsenal’s squad is crammed with attacking midfielders (TSF’s depth chart from early this season projected Zelalem to be sixth in line for that role, behind the JEFF), but the promise of more playing time at Dortmund could be tempting.

That said, Zelalem is far from guaranteed a walk-on spot in Germany. The midfielder will have other U-23 players like Christian Pulisic and Emre Mor to contend with, not to mention more established players like Mario Götze and, possibly, Marco Reus.