Both Yunus Malli and Yoshinori Muto were both heavily linked to leave 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the January transfer window but the club decided to keep both the players as they continued to fight for an unlikely European berth.

Mainz currently sit 8th in the Bundesliga with 24 points are only a couple of points behind the Europe League qualifying spots. But they are in a slump right now as the Karneval club have lost their last fur league games. 

Malli to Dortmund was seemingly all but done 

Former Mainz manager Thomas Tuchel had his sights on bringing the 23-year-old Malli to Borussia Dortmund in the winter. The two clubs had already decided on a transfer fee for the attacker but Mainz decided to retract and cut the deal before he could leave. 

It would have been tough for Mainz to let their leading scorer leave the club. Malli has notched up eight goals for the club this season and has been key in their form in the Bundesliga so far. It was a smart move for Mainz to at least keep him until the season is over. 

Muto linked to Old Trafford

Yoshinori Muto was linked to a big club as well as, after rumours circulated that he was a target for Manchester United. The Japanese international has scored seven goals this yearand has caught the attention of one of the biggest clubs in the world. He has been crucial in the attack for Mainz since arriving in the summer.

Muto has two goals for the Japanesse national team (Source: Fox Sports)
Muto has two goals for the Japanesse national team (Source: Fox Sports)

But Mainz have decided to ward off any advances as they feel that Muto is a key part of their team as well. 

It could have been a case of rebuilding for Mainz had sold both Muto and Malli, instead opting against building a stronger squad with the finds and ensuring they were not leaving.

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About the author
Vijay Vemu
Vijay is a sports journalist who covers mainly the NBA and soccer. He is a credential reporter on the Chicago Fire and also covers NBA for VAVEL as well. He is also a editor for Mash Chicago, the publication of the Chicago Tribune. He is also a contributor at SB Nation's Blog A Bull and Big East Coast Bias as well as writing on European Soccer as well. He plans on attending the University of Illnois at Chicago (UIC) in the fall with a major in computer science. You can follow him on Twitter : @VJVemu