Why Borussia Dortmund Can't Afford to Lose Henrikh Mkhitaryan This Summer

With only one important game left to play this season for Borussia Dortmund—the DFB-Pokal final against Bayern Munich on May 21—transfer talk is already dominating the headlines.

It's setting up to be a busy summer for the Black and Yellows' decision-makers. If Dirk Krampe of local paper Ruhr Nachrichten (link in German) is to be believed, there'll be more changes than in recent years, with a number of back-ups potentially on their way out.

The major questions, of course, still surround the big three: Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. All three have contracts that will expire in 2017, meaning Dortmund would need to sell them in the summer to get a fee.

VI-Images/Getty Images

Hummels apparently leans towards leaving for Bayern Munich, with Bild (link in German) reporting that player and club have already agreed on a four-year contract, while Gundogan's transfer to Manchester City hinges on the clubs agreeing to a fee, per the Times' Rory Smith.

Since chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told German TV channel Sky (h/t ESPN FC) that "it's ruled out that all three will not play for Borussia Dortmund next year," one would assume that Armenia international Mkhitaryan will stay at the Westfalenstadion for at least one more year no matter what.

That doesn't stop the international media from linking him with a number of clubs, however.

The Mirror's Darren Lewis wrote that Chelsea "hope to tempt the 27-year-old Armenian, a former Liverpool target, to Stamford Bridge despite no [UEFA] Champions League football next season." Carlo Laudisa of Italian sports paper Gazzetta dello Sport (link in Italian), meanwhile, reported that Mkhitaryan is one of Juventus' main transfer targets for next season.

Readers always need to take these reports with a grain of salt, but, as long as Mkhitaryan doesn't sign an extension, the rumours won't go away. Not after the incredible season the 27-year-old is putting together for the Black and Yellows.

"

A few of the worlds greatest sights: Great Wall of China, Statue of Liberty, Henrikh Mkhitaryan with a football...

— Jordan (@Jord_Borussia) April 23, 2016"

With 23 goals and 30 assists in 49 matches across competitions, per Transfermarkt.co.uk, Mkhitaryan is arguably Dortmund's player of the season. He's showing world-class performances with remarkable consistency, not once looking tired the entire campaign. 

The Black and Yellows' No. 10 is the difference-maker, as sporting director Michael Zorc called him after the 3-0 win over Stuttgart on the last Bundesliga matchday, per Ruhr Nachrichten's Matthias Dersch (link in German).

In that game, Mkhitaryan pulled all the strings, as seemingly every attack went through him. Picking up two assists and scoring the third goal himself, he was—as so often this season—the man of the match.

In theory, an attacking player such as Mkhitaryan should be relatively easy to replace—in comparison to Hummels and Gundogan, at least—but the Armenian is more than just a prolific scorer. 

No one embodies the coaching change from Jurgen Klopp to Thomas Tuchel as positively as Mkhitaryan does. "When Tuchel came, we started to play a different kind of football," he told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview earlier this year. "We try to keep the ball more, we try to pass it more and play very offensive football."

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

If all else fails, Dortmund should keep hold of Mkhitaryan even without a new deal. That might mean they wouldn't see a cent for him four years after making him the club's record signing with a reported fee of €27.5 million, per Transfermarkt (link in German), but the Black and Yellows have shown before that they'll pass up on money if a player is too important for the team.

Robert Lewandowski left for Bayern at the end of his contract after becoming the Bundesliga's leading goalscorer in the 2013/14 season. It was a successful campaign for Dortmund, not least thanks to the Poland international's goals, in which they advanced to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and the cup final, while coming in second in the league.

Keeping Lewandowski was worth it, and keeping Mkhitaryan would be as well. There's still hope he'll sign an extension but, even if he doesn't, Dortmund can't afford to lose their best player.

Lars Pollmann is a Featured Columnist writing on Borussia Dortmund. He also writes for YellowWallPod.com. You can follow him on Twitter.