by Oliver Trust

BERLIN, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Borussia Dortmund, the 2024 UEFA Champions League finalist, is preparing for major staff changes as it struggles to overcome its ongoing sporting crisis.

Head coach Nuri Sahin faces challenges assembling a competitive squad for upcoming Bundesliga matches due to a flu outbreak, while winger Donyell Malen appears set for a move to the Premier League.

Multiple German media outlets report that Dortmund has concluded negotiations for Malen's transfer, expected to earn the club up to 30 million euros for the Dutch international. The 25-year-old's departure is seen as the first step in Dortmund's effort to restructure its squad and regain form.

Ahead of the national league encounter against bottom team Holstein Kiel, a devastating record of 25 points out of 16 games burdens the side's ambitions.

Conceding 25 goals highlights the urgent need for defensive improvements. In response, the club is reportedly close to signing Chelsea's 21-year-old Portuguese defender Renato Veiga.

A series of injuries and illnesses, coupled with leadership issues on the pitch, threaten Dortmund's season goals, including Champions League qualification. Sahin has come under scrutiny for inconsistent performances, with the 2025 Bundesliga title seemingly out of reach and an early exit from the German Cup compounding the pressure.

Intense activity in transfer markets during the German winter transfer window, open until February 3, might give proof of a failed staff policy.

The entire club seems stuck in an identity crisis as fans are missing a convincing profile of cooperate identity.

Despite sporting director Sebastian Kehl's contract extension until 2027, the leadership board changes are causing the club to be in turmoil.

With former Champions League hero Lars Ricken taking over the CEO job from Hans-Joachim Watzke, things seem to have gone wrong.

Key players like Marcel Sabitzer, Julian Brandt, and Pascal Gross are struggling with form, further deepening the club's woes. The coming weeks are critical, with the match against Kiel followed by Bundesliga fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt and Champions League encounters with Bologna and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Sahin is managing training in small groups and implementing safety measures as up to nine players are sidelined by illness, including doubts over Karim Adeyemi and Jamie Gittens.

"This makes preparations more difficult, but we are facing the games with the intention of winning and dealing with the circumstances," 36-year-old Sahin said.

Addressing Dortmund's transfer strategy, Sahin confirmed that more moves are expected in the coming days.

"We all see the need to do something. We need to return to constantly good performances and update the squad," the BVB coach added.

As seen in their recent 3-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, Sahin may again need to rely on inexperienced players until new signings bolster the squad. Enditem

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