Transfer update: ‘Pulisic not for sale in January’

Dortmund insist English club Chelsea won’t be able to land him at Stanford Bridge

BERLIN: Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund have insisted Chelsea-target Christian Pulisic will not be allowed to leave in the January transfer window.

According to British media reports, Chelsea are interested in the 20-year-old US international, but Dortmund, who want 50 million euros ($56.8m) for the right winger, have blocked a possible departure next month.

"We won't let any important players go who are indispensable to achieving our sporting goals," director of sport Michael Zorc told Sport Bild magazine with Dortmund seven points clear in the league table.

"I strongly assume that Christian will still be wearing the Borussia Dortmund shirt in February."

Head coach Lucien Favre often prefers England international Jadon Sancho on the right wing, leaving Pulisic, who has also been linked to Liverpool, to start just four of Dortmund's 14 Bundesliga games so far this season.

However, the fleet-footed American has started four of Dortmund's six Champions League group stage games including Tuesday's 2-0 win at Monaco when Raphael Guerreiro scored both goals to put the Germans in Monday's draw for the last 16.

Germany midfielder Julien Weigl, linked to both Arsenal and Roma, is another big-name player struggling for game time who has been told he is going nowhere. The 23-year-old has been relegated to the Dortmund bench following the arrival of Belgium's World Cup star Axel Witsel.

It also looks as though Japan international Shinji Kagawa also has no future at Dortmund as the attacking midfielder failed to make the 18-man squad for Monaco, despite seven players being ruled out.