Dortmund have announced that they have activated the €7 million transfer clause in Nuri Şahin’s loan deal from Real Madrid. The 25-year-old Turkish international rejoined Dortmund in January last season on an 18 month long loan. The permanent transfer will occur in the summer when his loan deal expires on 30th of June.
Şahin joined Spanish giants, Real Madrid from Dortmund in May 2011 but due to competition for places and injury problems he failed to impress and was shipped out to Liverpool on loan in August 2012. He made twelve appearances for the Reds, and contributed three goals and three assists, but later admitted he never was happy at either club.
He commented on his time at Liverpool by saying, “I did not fail at Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers wanted me to play as a number ten. But I do not play behind the strikers. I talked to him and asked him why he was playing me there. It is not my real position. The coach could not answer me … Still, no regrets. To play at Anfield was a wonderful experience. And maybe if I had not gone there I would not have been able to return to Borussia Dortmund. For that, I am happy. Thank God I have left Brendan Rodgers.”
In January 2013, Liverpool agreed with Real Madrid to terminate their loan deal with Şahin, which resulted in him returning to the club he loves, Borussia Dortmund. Upon rejoining Dortmund he said, “I realised that as a footballer and a human being, I belong here 100 per cent. I want to help the team. I am still able to play football. I noticed quickly that I only want to play for Dortmund. I am a better player now, even though I didn’t get much playing time.”
Dortmund coach, Jürgen Klopp welcomed Şahin’s return and the added competition it brought to the midfield. He told Bild that Şahin would need time to adapt to the system they play, even though he had been at Dortmund from 2000 to 2005 at youth level, and 2005 to 2011 with the seniors, making his debut at sixteen years old. Şahin made seventeen appearances in all competitions during the 2012/13 season, contributing three goals and three assists, with one of the goals being an outrageously long range shot against Fortuna Düsseldorf. His most impressive performance was against Freiburg on 16 March 2013, where he scored two goals and assisted another.
This season however, İlkay Gündoğan’s back problems have forced Şahin to step up to the fold as the main deep playmaker in the side. It was only recently announced that Gündoğan would miss the rest of the season and the 2014 World Cup. With only one appearance in the league all season, the pressure on Şahin to fill that void has been quite a burden, of which he has dealt with. In an injury-ridden season for Dortmund, Şahin has performed admirably and should be praised for his overall play and leadership. During tough periods this season, without key first team members, Şahin has stood up as a leader in a very young side. This season Şahin has made the most Bundesliga appearances in the Dortmund side being involved in every single game, twenty-six of them being from the starting lineup. Most importantly he has made the most tackles of any other Dortmund player this season with ninety-eight, averaging a solid 3.4 tackles a game. This area of his game has been vital for Dortmund after they have missed Sven Bender and Sebastian Kehl for large sections of the season. In conjunction with his tackling prowess he also tops the most interceptions with seventy in twenty-nine appearances. As a result he is third behind Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic for interceptions per game.
In relation to Şahin’s signing Dortmund’s Hans-Joachim Watzke told the Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper that, “We informed the Real Madrid management of our intentions to take the option on him during our Champions League quarter-final tie with them.”
With İlkay Gündoğan’s future very much in doubt it looks like the permanent signing of Nuri Sahin will prove to be crucial. Despite not reaching his 2010/11 form quite yet, one thing is certain and that is Dortmund have a player who is determined, driven and 100% committed to the club.